Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
One of my favourite parts about the holiday season is putting up my Christmas tree. I have a really small apartment in Toronto which means I’m a little limited to the size of the tree I have, but I don’t let that stop me from putting one up.
A few years ago I decided to make my tree themed around travel. I had collected all sorts of travel-themed ornaments over the years, and it’s a really fun way to commemorate the trips I’ve been on. It’s like walking down memory lane each year when I put my Christmas tree, and this year it means even more to me since we have been stuck at home during the pandemic.
I thought it be fun to show you some of my favourite ornaments I’ve collected throughout my travels. So here we go…
Ireland
You could probably guess where this holiday ball is from without me having to tell you. I found this in Ireland, and couldn’t think of any better way to commemorate this trip since it’s probably the one and only time I’ll excessively drink Guinness!
Read more about my trip to Ireland below:
India
Finding ornaments in countries that don’t celebrate Christmas has proven to be difficult. In India, we didn’t really visit many shops that you would find anything half decent to use as an ornament, however, my sister and I spotted these on the street, and thought they’d make perfect ornaments.
Read more about my trip to India below:
East Africa
I traveled to Africa just after Christmas time and in turn, I found SO many cute ornaments there that it was hard to choose which ones I’d buy. This Santa riding a zebra though caught my eye and how could you say no to this?
Read more about my trip to East Africa below:
- Highlights from East Africa
- Traveling with Intrepid Through East Africa
- Trekking with the Mountain Gorillas in Uganda
Prince Edward Island
What better way to commemorate my trip to P.E.I. then with a cute little fisherman carrying a lobster? I seriously ate so much seafood on this trip to the East Coast of Canada, and had my first whole lobster.
Read more about my trip to P.E.I. below:
Thailand
This is one of my fav ornaments. It doesn’t look like much, but this red elephant is actually made of paper that was created with elephant poo. No it doesn’t smell, it’s just a sustainable way to make paper, and reminds me of the time we spent at the elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Read more about my trip to Thailand below:
Italy
Years ago I traveled to Italy with my Mom and picked up this ornament for my tree. It is a cornicello which is made to protect you from the evil eye, and bad luck in general. My whole family has gold cornicellos on chains they wear, so I thought this was a nice addition to the tree.
Read more about my trip to Italy below:
Jordan
Another country that was hard to find a holiday ornament in since they don’t celebrate Christmas. I’m not really sure what this was when I bought it, but I cut the long string on it to make it an ornament and I think it turned out super cute.
Read more about my trip to Jordan below:
New York
I have a few New York ornaments, but here is one of them. This was given to me by my aunt who picked it up when we were in NYC when I was in high school. I had traveled there to participate in the Rockette Experience at Radio City, and this decoration always reminds me of how much I loved the Rockette’s as a kid.
Read more about my trip(s) to New York below:
Las Vegas
Not easy to see in this photo, but this Christmas ball is filled with glitter, and little cards, to commemorate my trip I took to Vegas years ago with my family. This was a wild trip (like any trip to Vegas) and I always think of the hilarious, drunk memories we have when I look at this.
Read more about my trip to Vegas below:
Guatemala
A cute, handmade, beaded ornament picked up in Guatemala to remember my trip I took with my girl friend Asal. I loved Guatemala so much. It was so beautiful and had so much to offer, from beaches, to adventure. I can’t wait to return one day!
Read more about my trip to Guatemala below:
Morocco
Essaouira, Morocco is famous for their wood carvings made of thuja wood. Thuja is a tree that you can find a lot of in Morocco, and I made this little wood cutting into an ornament for my tree to remember my solo trip to Morocco.
Read more about my trip to Morocco below:
- How to Spend Two Weeks in Morocco
- Visiting the Sahara Desert in Morocco
- 8 Tips for Traveling in Morocco
Mexico
I have so many ornaments from Mexico because my Mom travels there every year (pre-pandemic). This is one of my favs because I actually have a life size version of this star (in silver) and it’s a real lamp. I think it looks so colourful and cute on my tree.
Read more about my trip(s) to Mexico below:
- Two Days in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- How to Spend One Week in Bucerias, Mexico
- Where to Eat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
San Francisco
When you think of San Fran, you definitely think of the famous cable cars. This decoration reminds me of my solo trip to San Francisco so much. I remember waiting in line for over an hour to ride the famous cable car. I can’t say for sure the wait was worth it, but hey, it’s something to remember!
Read more about my trip to San Francisco below:
- How to Spend 3 Days in San Francisco
- Cruising Through San Francisco with Vantigo
- Eating My Way Through San Francisco
Colombia
I searched high and low for a cute ornament in Colombia and finally found one on my last day there in a little shop. I was on a day trip and one of the other girls on our tour was also looking for ornaments, we found exactly two in a shop and both bought them. I love this little Colombian lady made from a bell.
Read more about my trip to Colombia below:
Amsterdam
Read more about my trip to Amsterdam below:
Nova Scotia
Read more about my tip to Nova Scotia below:
Wales
Read more about my trip to Wales below:
- Off-the-Beaten-Path: Day 1 in Wales
- Off-the-Beaten-Path: Day 2 in Wales
- Off-the-Beaten-Path: Day 3 in Wales
What are your favourite collectables you’ve brought home from trips? Share below in the comments!
1 Comment
Alouise
December 16, 2020 at 5:45 pmI have a friend who started collecting Christmas ornaments as souvenirs. Funny enough she and I took a trip to San Francisco last year, and I think she might have gotten that same cable car ornament you did.