Reading time: 4 minutes 
 
With summer travel on our minds, we had some fun recently looking up basic US passport facts available from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, which is the issuing authority for U.S. passports:

• • • There are approximately 160 million active US passports, including US territories. There’s some double counting in there for those with a passport book and card, but you get a sense of scale when we have a total population of roughly 340 million.
    • A state-by-state look at new passports issued as a percentage of each state’s population (est. July 2023) really got our attention. Top of the pile: Washington D.C., New Jersey, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and New York. States with the most subdued interest in new passports: West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky.
    • Despite all the changes that COVID brought to travel, valid dates for those passports remain unchanged. A child’s passport is still good for 5 years, an adult’s for 10. Makes sense, too. Children under 16 years of age surely change a lot more, on average, than we adults do. And, let’s face it, this probably makes many adults happy if they prefer a younger them in their official passport photo.

Why do we care about passports at Artifcts? Clearly we’re not alone based on the numbers! And talking about the first trip you took on a new passport is a lot more fun than talking about the weather or the latest highway construction project! How old were you? Where did you go? HOW did it go? Scratch that, ask about a first or most recent trip on any passport. Think how different you and your life were 10 years ago and what was guiding you to pick one travel destination over another. 
 
Your passport stamps and visas can unlock so many memories and stories. 
 
Our co-founder Ellen got her first passport to study abroad in Sweden during her junior year of undergraduate studies. Contrast that to her most recent passport which she first used to travel to Israel to speak on a conference panel about technology innovation and human legacy.  
 
In contrast, our other co-founder, Heather, got her first passport to travel to France to study abroad her sophomore year in high school. Her most recent passport stamp? Well, she’s currently mid-trip in the Bahamas, accompanying her husband on his work trip and wrangling brownouts and bugs as she works remote. Oh the stories (and the Artifcts)!

Artifct That Passport!

We have a robust “How to Artifct {fill in the blank}” series that we’ve published over the years. We highly recommend putting it to the test as you Artifct.  
 
Today we’re expanding that series with our best tips to preserve your passports and the memories they hold. Why would you Artifct your passport? To remember and re-live and share all those great and not-so-great travel memories—come on, who has had PERFECT travel and no horror stories to share?  
 
Artifcting passports also makes it easy to pull up trip details to repeat those travels down the road or share with a friend who plans to travel to the same destination. No losing that information in Google Docs, email, or hardcopy only.  
 
See, Artifcts are both everything you can wish for in capturing your stories and memories and incredibly practical, too! 
 
Here's your recipe for Artifcting passports: 
 
1. Start each Artifct with a photo of a stamp and/or visa in your passport. It gets you the location and the date in one go!

2. Add videos and photo:

• • • Picture of you in the country.  
    • Video you took out exploring.  
    • Photos of mementos you bought or collected (art, ceramics, t-shirts, pins and spoons, shells and rocks…).
    • Framed picture on your wall from a trip.

3. Don’t forget to add “Documentation” to your Artifct:

• • • Travel itinerary (flights, hotels, reservations, museums etc.)
    • Original photo file in case you want to reprint it in the future
    • Receipts, certificates of authenticity, and/or appraisals for any valuable travel mementos you purchase and may need to insure, add to your will, or re-sell one day

4. Now add the story. Use 5 words or 5,000, it’s up to you. No story burden here. And you can choose to add the story in writing or by using voice-to-text or directly recording in the Artifcts app. 
 
 
Want the easy-bake recipe instead?  
 
If what you really want is to tell your favorite stories from the places you’ve been or simply keep track, you can create an Artifct featuring photos of pages of stamps (instead of a single stamp at a time). Then in the Artifct “Description or story,” list out the locations pictured in the stamps and the stories for each. Done!

Connecting & Sharing Your Artifcted Travel Stories and Mementos

If you’re ready to step beyond the passport only, remember these great Artifcts features and services can help you along the way.

QR CODES

For most travel mementos, you can print or use an Artifcts QR code sticker to link the item, whether the expired passport itself or a ceramic vase you bought in a shop in Italy, with the Artifct. Now anyone who comes across it can scan to get the story.

 
USE @ IN THE ARTIFCT STORY

You can also inter-link your Artifcted stories by typing @ into the story of an Artifct and choosing another related Artifct. That way, all your Italy stories can link together!

PUBLISH A CUSTOM BOOK WITH US

You may also want to share your stories in a good old fashion book. We know, books can take a lot of work to upload all the photos, lay them out, pick the fonts, fit the text, and so on. Not at Artifcts! Enjoy the memories, we can help with the rest.  
 
Simply purchase a book with our partner Akin, select all the Artifcts you want to publish to a book, and click share to privately send the Artifcts to Akin to layout in your book. You’ll receive a proof before the books are ordered and arrive on yours or a loved one’s doorstep. We have tips to enhance your Artifcts for publication available here, too.

We hope you're inspired to get Artifcting those travel moments hidden within your passport. Happy July to you all!

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As co-founders, Ellen and I are always meeting interesting people at Artifcts. We were very fortunate to be introduced this spring to Rainer Jenss, founder of the Family Travel Association, former senior executive with National Geographic, and an avid traveler. We loved talking with Rainer so much that we invited him to be our first guest author at ARTIcles. Read on to learn more about his story and experience using Artifcts to remember his 2022 travels in Africa.

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My wife Carol and I recently returned from a vacation we took to Africa with 25 other people, most of whom we’d never met before, but all who had some kind of connection to the tour’s organizers, Henry and Claire Kartagener. In my case, I’ve worked in the travel industry with Henry Kartagener for years. He’s also been directly responsible for getting Carol and me to Southern Africa several times already, including our first visit back in 1992 that took us on a safari during which we actually ended up getting engaged. Thirty years later, we found ourselves returning yet again, but this time as part of a “Friends of Henry” contingent, some of whom had been to the continent before, many of whom had not.

As I’ve noticed on other trips we’ve been on as part of a group, conversations between people often turn to sharing travel stories. Some just recount something that happened that day, while others recall experiences from previous adventures. It’s as though the act of sharing travel memories with others somehow reinforces their meaning – and all the while, hopefully inspiring those who are listening.

I can relate. For me personally the tales from my life’s adventures traversing the planet and displaying some of the things I picked up along the way represent some of my favorite memories and what I’m most fond of in my life. I think we all probably feel that way in some way no matter how much of the world we’ve traveled. Either way, this idea only strengthens my conviction that traveling is one of the most important things we can do in our lives.

Taking it a step further, if I were asked to recall what our conversations were about, I’d say they usually revolved around the things most of us do while traveling, which include (in no particular order): visiting new places, trying new things, meeting new people, buying souvenirs, and of course, sharing pictures. In fact, it would be pretty easy to argue that thanks to the advances in cellphone technology, capturing and sharing the highlights of our journeys through pictures, whether they be bucket list vacations or just weekend getaways, seems to be the most common activity we almost all now seem to engage in.

Victoria Falls at sunrise. Click the image to view the Artifct.

But while putting our best-looking pictures on social media has become such an integral part of what we do while traveling, we usually do so without telling the broader stories behind the images we post. Sure, the photos themselves may look great and often make those we share them with envious. But on their own, they rarely capture why the person took it or what it means to them personally.

The national flora of South Africa is the King Protea, symbolizing diversity, change and courage. Click the image to view the Artifct.

After recently having discovered Artifcts, I’ve found that it’s now possible to not only preserve and organize the special moments from my travels, I can now do so by also documenting the stories behind them. The very same stories I just might share with fellow travelers somewhere down the road.

Which brings us to what happened when I returned home after spending more than two weeks in Africa with 25 of my new best friends. As usual, I had 100s of images to sort through and edit. But this time, I did so with a different purpose and perspective. Sure, I still tried to pick out the ones that were the most visually compelling. But this time I made sure to set aside some photos of things I usually wouldn’t display in an album or share on social media. Instead, I paid special attention to the photos and videos of those things that best told the story of our trip. Best of all, I used the Artifcts I created to produce a virtual album I shared with those I spent my vacation with. For the purpose of this story, I’ve also made it available to the public in hopes it might inspire others to give it a try. Just go to my Artifcts page to check it out.

Happy Trails . . . and Happy Artifcting!

- Rainer Jenss

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 4 minutes 

Running a company and a family is hard work. Double the work if your spouse is doing the same. After three years of putting health, safety, and the children first, my dear spouse and I decided enough was enough. Time to pack up and hit the road and find a spot where we could be totally alone and surrounded by nature since we are both avid hikers, campers, and world-wide adventurers.  

Where to? Greenland. Yep, Greenland! Greenland is one of the last bastions of unspoiled wilderness, where boats outnumber cars, and if you time it right, you can bask in 30-degree Farenheit temperatures under the midnight sun during the summer months.  

You can imagine the reaction of our friends and family. Responses ranged from, “You’re going where? Why?” to “Did you mean Iceland?” (Nope, I meant Greenland!) The responses got even more incredulous when we told them we planned to spend the time camping and hiking in a fjord about 90-minutes north of Nuuk, accessible only via boat or seaplane. (We opted for the boat.) 

Let the Mementos and Memories Roll In 

The trip itself was magical and defied any and all expectations.  

We spent four incredible (albeit sometimes rainy) days hiking, exploring, and just being. We discovered wildflowers that we never expected to see, and explored Viking ruins that were steps from our camp. I have yet to find the words to fully describe it all.  

And although we were technically on a digital detox (no wi-fi, no internet, just us and our camp hosts), I couldn’t help but create in my head all the Artifcts I planned to make as soon as I returned to the US. The majestic hunks of glacial ice floating in the fjord, the freshly caught Arctic char, and the rocks. Yes, rocks. All the things that astounded me and left me speechless for the most part, yet none of them were things I could easily take home as mementos. Artifcts would have to become my souvenirs.  

Artifcting My Summer Holiday 

Jetlag aside, one of the first things I did stateside was create Artifcts. (Technically, I started one while waiting in line for the people mover at Dulles International Airport, but that’s a separate story.) I didn’t want to forget a thing, and, as you might imagine, one photo of an iceberg looks a lot like the next unless or until you know the story. And if you don’t know the story, it’s just digital photo clutter! 

I initially created a private Circle of four (us and our hosts) to group and share the Artifcts with a single click and allow the others to contribute their own trip Artifcts and memories. But the Circle quickly ballooned into a private Circle of 20+ as family, friends, and business acquaintances asked for photos and details. I realized my Circle was helping me to share a more meaningful version of my holiday with others than would otherwise be possible! 

Circles: My Travel Memory “Ah Ha!” 

It’s only been three weeks since I’ve been back, but I have already heard from a half dozen people that they’re interested in planning a similar trip after seeing our Greenlandic Adventures Circle.  

I’ve also probably saved myself countless hours sending the same photos and telling the same stories to family who are not always in the same place at the same time.  

My Circle has become my answer to, “How was your vacation?” With a click of a button, I’m able to share the highlights, photos, videos, and details. What is more, I know my memory is fickle, and years from now, I’ll have my Circle to remember all the amazing hikes, sights, and souvenirs from our four fabulous days in the Greenlandic wilderness.  

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Intrigued? Feel free to email me at Heather@Artifcts.com if you want to be added to my Circle. 

Want to make a Circle of your own? Check out our video tutorial.  

And finally, special thanks to Anika and Jon Krogh, our fabulous hosts at Camp Kiattua. We’re already dreaming of when we’ll be back.  

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The ancient city of Petra, dating back to 800 BC, feels far out of reach for many of us. It’s tucked into the sandstone cliffs of what is known today as the Golden Triangle of Jordan: the red deserts of Wadi Rum—well known as the setting of Star Wars—the Red Sea port of Aqaba, and the ancient city of Petra. In February, I journeyed to Petra from Tel Aviv by bus just to spend a few hours exploring. While I wouldn’t recommend three bursts of 24-hours travel within a one-week period, this time it was well worth the discomfort! 

Rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss-born explorer John Lewis Burckhardt, his original travel journal reveals in vivid details the wonder and perils of his journey to the site, what he found, and the condition, size, and more of this ancient relic. The entirety of Petra is really an artifact in situ, in the traditional sense of the word “artifact.” 

Archeologists have combed through the grounds bit by bit to unravel the complexities and brilliance of its design, solving for riddles such as: 

• • • Did they start carving from the top or the bottom? 
    • How did the population survive where there was no ready water source? 

• • • Why is their representation of God nearly shapeless at the entrance to the city and two dots and a line (eyes and a nose) further in? 

• • • What do the camel and riders, the eagles, and other adornments carved into various city elements represent? 
    • How was each city area used, and by whom among the royalty, nobility, and commoners? 
    • And ultimately, what happened to those who once lived here? Why did the city fall to disuse after intruders arrived? 
    • We’re acutely aware that the Artifcts we create here together will reveal far into the future much more about the objects we leave behind and how we lived than ever before. They will tell community histories and personal histories.  

We all need a history, and we hope you’ll discover the power in Artifcting to transform objects of your everyday life into shared pieces of your history.   

Bonus! My Tips for Visting Petra

Should you decide to visit Petra, here are a few of my tips while they are fresh in my mind: 

1. 1. Unless you are used to deserts or are a camel, visit outside of peak heat season. There’s very little shade and considerable distance on sandy, rocky 3,000-year-old road to travel for a worthwhile visit. When it’s not hot, it can be quite cold. Consider gloves, a puffer jacket, and a turtleneck. 
   2. No matter the time of year, bring extra bottled water for this desert experience. 
   3. Prepare to spend more for a ‘full’ experience. You want an iconic photo of the famed “Treasury” building, which is actually a cemetery, from above? Even though you paid a park entrance fee, you must pay additional cash on site to go up that path. Camel, donkey, and cart rides if you have mobility challenges or are short on time are also extra. 
   4. Do not turnaround at the Treasury. Equally grand sites are much further down path, notably including the Monastery.
   5. You need six hours minimum unless you’re coming from a local location and can easily pop in and out. Overnight would be still better. And ideally you’d have a few days to visit the whole Golden Triangle. 

Happy Artifcting! 

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Today's story indulges Artifcts co-founder Ellen Goodwin’s fascination with the stars. She even has an Artifct or two about it. You can read one of them here. If nothing else, just like the act of creating an Artifct, let this story help remind you to take a pause to look up and enjoy the vastness of the universe and the potential within each of us every day to play an oversized role in it from our little slice of the universe. 

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Close your eyes.  

Picture a lighthouse.  

Is it hanging out alone on a rocky bluff or stony beach? Is it sun-shiny daytime or deep dark night?  

Would it surprise you to learn that most photographs of lighthouses only show these sentinels by day? Until recently, that is. 

Lighthouses today are largely on private land or public park spaces, both with controlled access. Even with access granted, you have weather, water, and other environmental conditions, including wildlife (Porcupines! No joke. Read the book USA Stars & Lighthouses.), to contend with if you want a close-up view. So logically most of us capture pictures of lighthouses only by day and often by boat or from some distance as in the photo shown in the Artifct Our Cape Cod Whale Tale. 

We had the good fortune to connect recently with David Zapatka, who has spent his professional life behind the lens of high-powered video cameras that bring the world everything from investigative news from the field to NCAA men's basketball tournaments and the Olympics. Privately, however, David was hooked on photography from the moment he realized his passion would be supported by submissions to his school yearbook, feeding him a constant supply of film and access to the people and places of the moment. 

Access and control - two of the most critical factors in photography. Control is about lighting. David preaches to his students: control - control - control. As for access, well, you know, can you get close to it? The third critical ingredient for David is passion. Conservancy, national history, community, all of these play into David's work to at last capture lighthouses at night, doing the work they were designed for, bringing ships safely to harbor, providing hope in a sea of dark, and reminding us we are infinitely small in this vast universe. 

David is creating a personal legacy in this work. For his kids and grandkids, for all of us, he'll know he left us something special. 

For each lighthouse in his book USA Stars & Lights: Portraits From the Dark David includes the story behind the shoot. Who owns and operates the lighthouse, how did he get access, what were the conditions when he went once (sometimes twice) to get the shot, and for budding photographers, even the technical details. Because there is no hocus pocus or photoshop here. You need to earn every bit of it. 

With no further ado, enjoy these special Artifcts from our friend David Zapatka. 

ABOVE: Assateague Lighthouse. Often shooting lighthouses at night involves critical timing. Sometimes you can't gain night access to lighthouses if the gates are locked. At the Assateague Lighthouse in northern Virginia, only at certain times of the year is the park open long enough into the night to photograph the lighthouse before you must leave or get caught locked in for the night! Click the image to view the Artifct.

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© 2022 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT DAVID ZAPATKA

Rhode Island native David Zapatka's work regularly appears on national news and sports programs for ABC, CBS, CNN, HBO, NBC, and PBS. He’s covered six Superbowls, 20 years of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, four winter Olympic Games for which he won two National Sports Emmy awards for his contributions to the NBC coverage of the Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002 and Vancouver in 2010. David's lighthouses work began in 2013 as a project that became so much more. 

Sometimes collections sneak up on you. You may not realize it as you browse through tin spoons in a souvenir shop, or rummage through stamps at a yard sale. Yet, when you get back home, you might realize as you go to put your newfound treasures away, wow, I have a lot of those spoons, stamps, you name it!  

This is the story of  @Grandmom, and her secret-not-so-secret coin collection.  

Grandmom never set out to collect coins per se. She's a world traveler, and enjoys bartering in local markets, from Kathmandu to Liberia. Grandmom has always found that she can get a great deal if she offers to toss in an American coin or two. And, when she’s lucky, she gets back local coins and currencies.  

Forty years and just as many (if not more) countries later, Grandmom has quite a coin collection. Not just a couple of bowls of coins by her bedside table. Nope, we’re talking bins and bins of coins and currencies from all over the world. Some date back to the 1800s!  

The funny thing is, she never explicitly told anyone about it. Her grown sons vaguely recall, “Yeah, she might have had a coin collection.” Her grandkids had no clue either. Imagine our surprise one Sunday afternoon when she pulled out the bins (and bins) of coins and asked for help to identify a couple of her favorites as she can no longer remember when or where she got them, “It was so long ago.” 

Got a secret-not-so-secret collection on your hands? Don’t know where to start? Grandmom’s got a couple of tips to share when going through collections that may have snuck up on you over time.  

1. Start with your favorites. Which ones do you like the most? What can you remember about them? Don’t worry if you can’t remember everything. You can always go back and add more details later. This is one of Grandmom’s favorite coins.  
2. Are there any unique pieces that you think others should know about? Grandmom has all the stories in her head, but she’s started to Artifct some of the more unique pieces of her collection to make sure that her family knows the details, like these Victory nickels.  
3. Pair travel photos with coins from that location to tell the story. It’s a great way to connect the “what” (the coin) with the experience (the trip, the memories). Can’t remember the exact details? Knowing just the trip and some of your favorite memories from that trip is easily enough to tell the story and connect the dots.  

Have a surprise collection to share? We’d love to feature you! Reach out to us at Editor@Artifcts.com.  

Happy Artifcting! 

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© 2022 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.