Some people collect magnets. Others hoard keychains, postcards, or shot glasses from every destination they visit. But me? I collect travel pins—and they all live proudly on one special hat. Well... most of them.

It all started several years ago when I considered a way of documenting my travels while being an active traveler! Refrigerator magnets wouldn't do. Neither would key chains, so I started brainstorming ways to collect my location trophies! While my auntie Donna collects charms on her pandora bracelet, I decided pins would do well.

I used to collect them on a jean jacket (or two!). However, that no longer worked when I moved to Hawaii. No one would see them!

Before this most recent trip, I had to think of a new idea and QUICK!

There I was one day, shopping at Ross, of all places. I was focused on all things travel that day—not just wandering the aisles like I normally do. And there it was: a simple, sturdy cap bea-uuuuuuuuu-tifully marked with a clearance tag. It was a fancy, but without logos, and no bright colors. It would be my blank canvas to begin documenting this travel journey.

I picked it up, inspected it a bit, and thought to myself, This is it! My travel hat!

Now, the skulls just WON'T do, BUT... it's a start. So! I took 'em off!

NOTE: I tried documenting the journey on a purse months before, but...

It was a Michael Kors purse, and the pins wouldn't push through. So much for that!

The pins aren’t just souvenirs; they’re conversation starters, memory markers, and mini testaments to the miles I’ve maneuvered and the people I’ve met.

Now, my once-simpler cap shines with my personality. My personal fingerprint. It’s blinged out with color and character, each pin carrying its own story:

• The black lives matter pins from the Black History museum in Alabama.
• The route 66 pin from my road trip to the California coastline and back during Winter break during seminary.
• And the recent collection of Buc-ee's pins that represent my once reticent love for the beaver.

When I wear my hat, it’s like wearing a scrapbook that doesn't take years to complete. And whenever someone stops and asks, “Where’s that one from?” I've got a story to tell. That’s what I love most about it—it’s not about showing off, it’s about remembering. It's about sharing. It's about my love for travel and exploration.

Magnets stick to your fridge. Keychains get lost at the bottom of bags. But this hat? It'll travel wherever I do. It’s a timeline of my travels—proof that adventures don’t just live in photos, but in the little details you choose to carry with you.

So if you’re looking for a new way to collect your memories, maybe skip the souvenir shop clichés. Pick up a hat, a jacket, or even a backpack—and let your journey decorate it. Before you know it, you’ll have your own story to wear.