As I get older (and hopefully wiser), I appreciate the power of pictures and storytelling to engrave memories in my brain. Sharing highlights of a trip with friends and family is one powerful way to reinforce the memories…
Iconic pictures — the ones you show over and over — spark memories. Unique flavors or aromas are also powerful memory triggers.
There are the beautiful snapshots…
…and the quirky ones, the ones that capture some idiosyncratic aspect of a place.
Like garden features, local landscape design, fences or building styles.
Or funny signs you encounter in out-of-the-way places, like a public walking path on Orcas Island, well past the Deer Harbor marina.
Wearing an outfit or using something (like handmade pottery) that you bought while traveling.
Reading a magazine article, a blog post, or a story set in that city or locale.
Sometimes memories are triggered by savoring recollections of a special meal, like a birthday or anniversary dinner.
Perhaps you try recipes from a cookbook produced by a celebrity chef who made her mark in a restaurant you experienced (or wanted to visit.)
Sometimes you overhear people on an airplane or the subway, talking about places you’ve visited. You may jump into their conversation, and share some recommendations.
Or you see specialty items in local stores that come from places you love to visit. Like that special Parisian perfume.
And you can’t help but grumble about how much less they cost there than here! Even after the conversion from euros to dollars.
Sometimes you watch a romantic movie or a travel documentary on TV, and say to your significant other, “Remember when we…?”
And sometimes it’s as simple as seeing the packing list from an earlier trip, if you come from a family of list makers, as I do…