ENGLISH
I don’t have a good memory.
I don’t know why but I tend to forget the dialogues, the causes behind arguments, the problems, also many small details, often the faces.
But I remember the emotions experienced, caused, connected, the way I felt in a place, the feelings after a conversation.
Years later, my memories of a trip, an occasion, a period are very much linked to photographs.
It’s as if I managed to anchor the events around the moments in which I took those photos: I have always taken many, elusive, even not aesthetic or confused.
To make sure I remember.
Some psychological studies have shown that actually taking photographs distracts us from living in the moment and then we tend to forget it, not to pay too much attention, not to perceive the emotions that are what activates the global circuit of memory.
But the exact opposite happens to me.
If I don’t shoot, even a banal lunch at Ikea, I risk forgetting the whole day.
While if I see the photograph of those Swedish meatballs after years, I can even remember the conversations I was having.
It will be for this reason that I forget the reasons behind the arguments, the problems, the faces of the people I met a few times. Because these are not moments that I can photograph.
For everything else, I have the camera roll that tells me about my life as if it were a tape recording: I browse and it all comes back to mind. A backup.
So years ago I had the world map printed on a forex, created a frame and inserted a pin for each place visited. And to each I have hung my memory.
In each new city, I take a Polaroid for my map: it’s my souvenir, capable of telling me about the journey.
And then I take a picture of the photo, for my blog: to tell you too.
Maybe it’s all just a way to have the feeling of owning the world, of having it there, at hand, cataloged, ordered, a whole life in a row, the spaces filled and those still to be traveled divided into geometric precision as in a battle naval, G9 sunk, C4 unexplored.
It’s a beautiful lie, it’s my way of keeping myself sheltered from time and from the anxiety of forgetting, in the belief that I have placed everything in a safe, secure disposition, never lost again.
These are the habits on which we build all our certainties – after all – and they are beautiful and romantic for the strength we put into believing in these ephemeral poems.
The world. My world. My life. My story.
xx Dasynka
PS. I will update this article after each trip, to add all the upcoming souvenir photos of the new places I will visit.
ITALIANO
Io non ho una buona memoria.
Non so perché ma tendo a dimenticare i dialoghi, cause dietro i litigi, i problemi, ma anche tanti piccoli dettagli, spesso i volti.
Però ricordo le emozioni provate, causate, connesse, il modo in cui mi sentivo in un luogo, le sensazioni dopo una conversazione.
A distanza di anni, i miei ricordi di un viaggio, un’occasione, un periodo, si legano molto alle fotografie.
È come se riuscissi ad ancorare gli avvenimenti intorno ai momenti in cui realizzavo quelle foto: ne ho sempre scattate molte, sfuggenti, anche poco estetiche e confuse.
Per essere sicura di ricordare.
Alcuni studi psicologici hanno dimostrato che in realtà scattare fotografie ci distoglie dal vivere il momento e tendiamo poi a dimenticarlo, a non prestare troppa attenzione, a non percepirne le emozioni che sono ciò che attiva il circuito globale della memoria.
Ma a me succede l’inverso.
Se non scatto, anche un banale pranzo all’Ikea, rischio di dimenticare tutta la giornata.
Mentre se rivedo la fotografia di quelle polpette svedesi dopo anni, riesco perfino a ricordare le conversazioni che stavo affrontando.
Sarà per questo che dimentico le motivazioni dietro i litigi, i problemi, i volti delle persone incontrate poche volte. Perché non sono momenti che posso fotografare.
Per tutto il resto, ho il rullino fotografico che mi racconta la mia vita come fosse una registrazione su nastro: sfoglio e mi torna tutto in mente. Un backup.
Così anni fa ho fatto stampare il planisfero su un forex, ho creato una cornice e ho inserito una puntina per ogni posto visitato. E ad ognuno ho appeso il mio ricordo.
In ogni città nuova scatto una polaroid, per la mia mappa: è il mio souvenir, capace di raccontarmi il viaggio.
E poi scatto una foto della foto, per il mio blog: per raccontarlo anche a voi.
Forse è tutto solo un modo per avere la sensazione di possedere il mondo, di averlo lì, a portata di mano, catalogato, ordinato, tutta una vita in fila, gli spazi riempiti e quelli ancora da percorrere suddivisi in geometrica precisione come in una battaglia navale, G9 affondato, C4 inesplorato.
È una bella bugia, è il mio modo di tenermi al riparo dal tempo e dall’ansia di dimenticare, nella convinzione di aver posato ogni cosa in sicura disposizione, salva, mai più perduta.
Sono i vezzi su cui costruiamo tutte le nostre certezze – infondo – e sono bellissimi e romantici per la forza che mettiamo nel credere a queste effimere poesie.
Il mondo. Il mio mondo. La mia vita. La mia storia.
xx Dasynka
PS. Aggiornerò questo articolo dopo ogni viaggio, per aggiungere tutte le prossime foto delle foto del ricordo dei posti nuovi che visiterò.
Polignano a Mare 2020. 
Lille 2019. 
Naples 2019. 
Prague 2019. 
Paris 2018. 
Disneyland 2018. 
Budapest 2017. 
Valencia 2017. 
Santorini 2017. 
Mykonos 2017. 
Rome 2016. 
Amsterdam 2016. 
London 2016. 
London 2015. 
London 2015. 
London 2015. 
London 2014. 
London 2014. 
56 commenti
Love these pictures.. amazing idea to keep memories alive 🙂
Thank you Rashmi 🙂 xx
Thanks for sharing your pics with us and telling us what they mean to you…pictures are a great way of freezing time, triggering certain emotions….I wish I was a better photographer, but hey I enjoy viewing talented photographers like you. Have a lovely weekend, Xo
Freezing time, this is the best way to describe what photographs do❤️ thank you so much for your kind words❤️ xx
Absolutely adore your polaroid collection! I’m very similar to you as I love to document and take photos of where I’ve visited. I have 3 scrapbooks filled with photos, tickets, leaflets and anything else from places I’ve been so I can remember the trips and look back on photos and memories!
Tash //
Scrapbooks are such a romantic and beautiful way to keep memories alive ❤ xx
I love polaroids, great memories ❤
Thank you, xx
What an incredible polaroid collection you have! I love that you use photographs to capture and preserve memories and emotions. It makes sense because you photos always have so much emotion and detail to them. Beautiful post!
Jill
Oh Jill, thank you so very much for your words, ❤️ xx
The beauty of pictures is that when we see them, they give us a great refresher of that moment. I agree with you though… I love taking pictures but I can’t let it distract myself from being present. I see people taking pictures and taking the time to go post it on social media. I am like, can it wait? I’d say, do take the time to take the picture but don’t lose sight of the goal either :). I love all of the different pictures you took!! It is so cool that you got to have polaroid printouts too!!
Nancy ✨
Yes you totally get the point of what I was trying to say, I mean it looks like it’s most important to show instead of to live all the things.
It’s hard to live the present, but social media made this even more difficult nowadays.
Thanks btw Nancy, ❤️ xx
What a great idea as a way to remember your travels!
-Ashley
Thanks, xx
I love this so much. I’m the same as you – I have such bad memories, that photos always help me retain them. And blogging (it’s always nice to go back and read old blog posts). I LOVE that you take polaroids of all these places <3
So true, blogging and instagram are also a big source for keeping memories alive 🙂 xx
Thank you for sharing that.
I really love plaroids photos.
Thanks! xx
I love this idea so much! Gorgeous pictures.
xx Simone
Thanks, xx
Io adoro le polaroid di viaggio, le inserisco sempre nella mia agenda!!
È una bella idea questa, peccato che non uso le agende, scrivo tutto sul telefono! xx
I agree, taking photos helps you remember and it’s nice to look back at them! Your photos are gorgeous!
Jill
Thank you very much 🙂 xx
My blog and IG account help me remember whenever my memory fails me. It’s worth the effort because no one else will do it for us.
You know? This works for me too. Sometimes I spend hours to put together a vlog just because I know it will remain to me❤️ xx
I love polaroids! They are so fun and they make everyone look good! I have the same problem my memory is REALLY bad!
Allie
Haha yes we are not alone, I guess you do the same with photographs 🙂 xx
I’m the same! I have to take pictures to help remember the day, or the trip! Plus, I love looking back at them.
Yes, it’s beautiful to take a look at them 🙂 xx
Dai che bella idea, penso che dovrei farlo anche io!
Grazie, xx
This is so awesome!! Thanks for sharing!
xx- Nina
Thanks to you, xx
I love that you took a polaroid of places you visit and pin it to the map! It’s a such a great idea to capture and live in the moment!
Thank you so much! I have to say this is one of the thing I love the most from the things I own! xx
this is damn pretty, I love this idea and it looks well cute <3
Also, well done in getting the London Bridge open. I've lived in that road and I saw it open plenty of times, but my fiancé that lives here for the past 5 years has never saw it open, sadly.
Ana C., xoxo
Omg you saw that! You saw the polaroid with the open bridge! It was my first and last time, by chance, I was there and fortunately had my polaroid cause I was about to shoot, it was such a cool moment. And wow I can’t believe how incredible could be to live just there, with such a beautiful view! I love London so much and I’d love to live there.. xx
I take my instax with me everywhere I go, too, and make sure to have one decent one per city I visit. Great collection!
Just as me! 🙂 xx
Pictures have a wonderful and weird effect. I sometimes decide to go down memory lane and look at old pictures. I instantly remember the feeling I felt during the time of the picture and the person that I was; my interests, my friends and why I even look the picture.
I’m so sentimental about such things. Might have to go back to my photographs for a little session 🙂
xxx
Yes that’s exactly what they do for me, so I love the way this map helps me remembering all the time! xx
Questa idea di creare una sorta di cartina dei ricordi mi piace moltissimo!
Grazie! xx
This is such a great idea. Love your Polaroids and Photos!
xoxo
Lovely
Thanks! xx
The photos are absolutely stunning. I have a very similar thing with clothing. My memory is awful. But if I can remember what I wore that day, or see a photo of my outfit, suddenly the whole thing comes back to me. Very strange! x
Sophie
Of course I have a bad memory with my clothes too, and guess what? I wrote down my whole closet into notes! So I can always check what I have if I need to plan an outift or if I’m doing shopping 😀 xx
I feel like I have a horrible memory too! I think I used too much focus with all the day to day things of ‘momming’ to be able to recall things in great detail. Taking polaroids is a greay idea! These photos are so pretty!
This is definetly something we can do to help our lack of memory hahah and then I love the vintage vibes of them 🙂 xx
Such a beautiful text. I’m the same way I always tend to have better memory when I have a picture to remind me of this specific moment.
Your polaroids photos are so cool. I love how you hang them under a map.
xx
Margot
Thank you Margot! Yes taking pictures to have stronger memories are so beautiful 🙂 xx
This is very creative! I haven’t seen something like it, a photo print in the exact location! Interesting post!
Oh thank you very much! xx
This is probably one of the prettiest posts I’ve ever seen! I also like to take a lot of polaroids because for some reason my memory is also pretty shoddy!
Thank you so much Amy! Photographs and polaroids are so useful to keep memories alive (unless we forget to live the moment we take them!) 🙂 xx