I have a horrible memory, a curse that often leaves me unable to remember parts of amazing trips I’ve taken. Even on travels from only a year ago, I often have to be reminded about seeing particular things or funny stories from people who went with me!

Throughout my travels through Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Caribbean and South America, I’ve learned from trial and error the best ways to documenting, and more importantly, remember, the highlights from my trips. Here's what's helped me immensely...

1. Travel Journal

You’ve probably heard this one before, but the trick for me is journaling in a way that doesn’t take a lot of time so it's not burden! A big tip I have is to create a sort of scrapbook with small, printed-out photos placed next to a bullet or two describing key events and stories from the day. And these photos are thanks to the next item...

2. Mini photo printer or Polaroid Camera

The ability to print small photos that fit nicely on the pages of a journal creates a journal that's visually stimulating, something that you can cherish and look at forever. This also provides an easy way to show people back home all the amazing things you saw while away. I use the HP Sprocket Printer because it's a small device, easy to travel with, that connects by Bluetooth to your smartphone and prints small, good-quality photos from your camera roll with a peel-off backing that turns the photo into a sticker, making for easy placement in your journal. Polaroid cameras are another great option for instantly printing photos, however they can be quite clunky and the film expensive.

3. GoPro

You’ve no doubt heard of this wildly popular camera, made primarily for action and adventures. This makes sense - it takes amazing quality footage, is waterproof and dirt-proof, requires few or no accessories, and makes recording an entire trip or adventure so incredibly easy. Another plus is you can have not only a scrapbook-journal to remember your trip, but also a compilation of beautiful-quality photos and videos.

4. Disposable camera

These are less of an essential item, more of a fun add-on. I find disposable cameras exciting because you fill them up with random moments throughout a trip, return home, and often forget to develop them right away. This makes it a nostalgic, and often hilarious, time going through photos for the first time. Film photos also have a unique, grainy, authentic look that's very desirable!

5. Bum Bag

An essential for any travel adventure! Fanny packs are especially helpful for making your camera(s) easily accessible, ensuring you never miss a moment. If you don't bring your camera with you, you can't capture everything.

6. Personal Instagram Travel Account

This one is key, especially because it gets quite annoying when your parents and friends are constantly asking for updates and photos. Having a private, personal account created solely for your travels allows for a single place to keep your memories, organized by date, with photos and descriptions that you and your close friends and family can follow. Rather than a public Instagram or blog aspiring for fame or sponsorships, this can be a private account with a select few followers who want to follow you on your adventures.

With these tools, I can finally answer “oh yeah I remember that” when my family and friends get nostalgic about past trips we’ve taken, rather than my usual answer of “wait we did that?” or “was I there?” If all this talk of travel has got you hyped, check out some of INTRO's trips that take out all the hard work so you can focus on the fun stuff, like getting those great 'grams while travelling!