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Keepsakes: An Account Manager's Reflection on Travel

Life is filled with incredible experiences, but if we don’t take the time to find a way to capture these memories, they’re often forgotten. From pictures to ticket stubs, the opportunities are endless. The only difficult part is figuring out where to begin!

For WorldStrides Account Manager Noreen Wise, it was always a hard decision. She wanted to hold onto lots of memories—especially those that reminded her of times that truly changed her life. She began collecting special mementos in a drawer of her bedroom desk so that she could relive those cherished moments whenever she wanted. However, when it came to her eighth grade trip to our nation’s capital, her teacher, Mr. Joyce, made it easy. Joyce required all students to turn in a journal that documented their Washington, D.C., adventure, and if they didn’t, they couldn’t graduate. It was a bold assignment, but one that stuck with Wise for her entire life.

She wrote entries every day about a variety of things, including the seating arrangements on her bus, the sites she visited, her friendly tour guides, the beautiful architecture and painted ceilings, the weather, and even the pretzels in Philadelphia that weren’t very good. Wise captured everything that she could in the few pages that she had and even highlighted some souvenirs she gathered along the way, including a hotel key and a toothpick from her first deli sandwich in our nation’s capital.

“I remember being so annoyed with Mr. Joyce for making us write in this journal. Our trip was supposed to be fun, not devoted to writing pages and pages of details. However, every time I open that desk drawer to put in another keepsake, I always love rereading my now cherished journal.”

Wise explains that her trip to Washington, D.C., inspired her to grow and even pursue a career in travel. Now that she works as an Account Manager for WorldStrides DiscoverNow! programs, she is determined to help teachers make as much of an impact on their students’ lives as Mr. Joyce did for her.

How have you held onto memories of experiences that have made an impact on your life? Share some ideas with us below!