Of course you want to remember your trip. There are two good ways to do this: photos and souvenirs. But, unfortunately, we tend to gather too many of the wrong kind.

Definitely take photos of things that are memorable and of the people that you love enjoying themselves. You don’t have to take dozens of photos of each thing or stage every photograph like it’s a Vogue cover shoot. Take your photos and move on.

Every evening (or during long rides or flights), go through the photos and delete the obvious duds. You probably don’t want to keep the photo of your foot that you took accidentally.

Within a week of your return home. Go through the photos more carefully, labelling them and uploading them to safe storage. Do not trust that you’ll remember the name of that church or the person in the statue six months from now. Organize the trip photos into an album so that you will be able to find them. Consider printing one or two particularly nice photos to decorate your home or office.

Souvenirs can either hold precious memories or become a money-wasting addition to clutter. Think about it this way: would you buy the t-shirt, key chain, salt and pepper shakers, or plaque if it didn’t say Florida or Honolulu or Greece? If the answer is no, that souvenir is likely to become clutter sooner than you think. I try to keep my souvenirs in three categories:

1. Practical things made in the place I’m visiting; for example, jewelry or salad bowls or hand-painted wine glasses.
2. Food, especially local products. (Ask me about the amazing chocolate I bought in Turin.)
3. Local art or handicrafts. This is the rare triple win: you have something to jog your memory; you make your home more beautiful; and, you support local artists.

Hold on to the memories, but don’t let them overwhelm you !