Dear Diary,

GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS?! Christmas time. You probably knew that already though. Anyway in honor of the holiday season and my last post for 2015, I thought I would do a Christmas gift guide for the traveler in your life. I split it up into three categories based on your willingness to spend money on your loved ones: gifts under $25, gifts between $25 and $50 and gifts $50 and up. Let’s get started!

 

Under $25

Journal

$10 – $25

This can range depending on the journal you buy and where you buy it. One of my favorite things about travel is looking back on the memories and places I went and one of the best ways to do this is by keeping a travel journal (or diary lol). You can find these pretty much anywhere, but check Amazon or Barnes and Noble for some really cute ones.

 

Socks

$5 – $15

Socks are an absolute must and they always get lost. Buy your wandering friend a few pairs of socks, some fuzzy and cute and some more sensible and they will be forever grateful. Socks are perfect for long car rides or flights.

Luggage Scale

$10 – $20

There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and checking your back then realizing you are over the weight limit and having to rearrange, or even worse, pay the extra fee. With a portable luggage scale, your traveller friend can weigh ahead of time and avoid the airport hassles.

$25 – $50

World Map

$25 – $40

Every traveller is obsessed with maps ( I have at least four of them hanging up in my room) so a map in any form is a great gift. You can get a simple poster or even a scratchable map that you can scratch off all the places you’ve been.

Passport Cover

$25 – $30

This is definitely not a necessity, so someone probably wouldn’t think to buy it for themselves, but it is a great little luxury for any avid traveller. There’s hundreds of designs available!

Books

$25 – $40

Any kind of book from a travel planning book to a travel memoir is a great airplane read. Even better, get them a gift card for their e-reader and they can pick out their own books! Here’s a few of my favorites.

• “Not All Those Who Wander are Lost: Tales and Tips for the First Time Budget Traveler” by Koty Neelis
• “Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents” by Elisabeth Eaves
• “Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World” by Rita Golden Gelman
• “100 Places Every Woman Should Go” by Stephanie Elizondo Griest
• “The Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World” by Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett and Amanda Pressner
• “The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure” by Rachel Friedman

 

$50 and up

GoPro

$130 – $500

Everyone loves a good GoPro video, and every traveler loves a good way to keep their travel memories. GoPros are the perfect camera for any traveller, they are small and light and pretty versatile and produce high quality photos and videos. Depending on which version you get and if you get any accessories, the price can range, but it is definitely worth it.

Fujifilm Instax Share Smartphone Printer

$137

Every traveller loves taking photos and documenting their trips through pictures. However, sometimes you take so many photos that they end up just sitting on your phone. With this portable printer you can download an app and print the pictures straight from your phone!

 

An experience

Limitless

Is your mom going to Italy next summer? Buy her a ticket to the Colosseum. Is your best friend going to NYC? Get her a pass to the Empire State Building. You can research where your travel pal is going and go to various websites to buy them experience vouchers so they don’t have to pay for it themselves! It’s something they probably wouldn’t think of, which makes it a great gift.

That’s all for now travelers, I wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. Good luck on finals and I can’t wait to see you back here next semester!

 

Sincerely,

Bridget