Convert Your Memories to Digital * Tour Travel Hotels
In the middle of Covid-19, about a month or so after the lockdown, I discovered a bunch of old-fashioned VHS tapes, tapes, and reels made by my grandparents in the first half of the last century. They've been on my to-scan list for a while now and what better time to embark on such a project than during a period of social distancing, when we spend more time at home than on the road.
I had the opportunity to review the service from the folks at LegacyBox who digitize your audio and visual assets. They use state of the art monitoring, barcodes and real time updates all along the digitization process. I mention it first because everyone I've spoken to process done concerns first: "What if my original photos and films are lost?"
We offered around twenty articles to send them, which mix of VHS tapes, some audio tapes from my days as a exchange student and some 8 mm movies, some of which I had never seen.
I was excited at go back in the way of memory although a bit also worried about Classes. Most of the work we do with our healing practice concerns 'To be present' and focus on moving forward rather than hanging around in the past. Often times when we focus too much on the past, rather than the present or the future, we can get stuck.
Having said that, I find that dealing with the past through visualization, audio / music and / or movement (see the Woman certification I did recently which focuses on moving trauma and emotions through the body via movement), we are given the opportunity to feel the emotions in real time, thus letting go of some of the things that triggered our buttons on the magical journey called life.
While delving into visual and audio memories can elicit turbulent emotions that aren't always so pleasurable, raising them with the intention of being healed can be incredibly powerful. Intention is the key here.
With that in mind, I think delving into our past - both the good and the sad - can be powerful ways to release, let go, and move forward in a way that perhaps allows us to release some of the triggers that once held power over us.
And then, of course, there are the happy happy memories of the old days that don't trigger us negatively - you know, the ones that are just there for fun and don't want more? Alas, without the triggers for sadness, you can appreciate parents who may no longer be with us in the very essence of who they once were.
When we appreciate the joy they have brought to our lives rather than focusing on the fact that their physical bodies are no longer with us, we can dip our toes in deeper gratitude, reminding ourselves of their beauty and love that 'they once showed us. With more gratitude, we are still released.
Think about what you have in your home, office, garage, basement, or storage unit that hasn't been seen in a while or maybe never. Wouldn't it be cool to see what's on those old devices or relive the times when you were a toddler or even when your parents were?
So how exactly does it work?
After placing your order online, they will send you a box that they will simply call the LegacyBox. They come in different sizes depending on what you want to convert and the number of items of course.
Once you've chosen the option above, you'll receive the box to send them your memories, along with a welcome guide with simple, step-by-step instructions, security barcodes for each item, and a prepaid UPS return shipping. label.
You can mix and match many kinds of formats, from VHS tapes to Super8 movies. For tapes, they support VHS-C, Hi8, Video 8, MiniDV, Betamax (that was big at one time, remember?), PAL, and Digital 8.
Once they have received your LegacyBox full of your goodies, it takes around 6-8 weeks (could be longer with coronavirus, so check with them to be sure, but for us it took around 7-8 weeks).
They will of course send your originals back to you and depending on the options you select, you will receive your audio and visual files in a scanned format on your choice of USB stick, DVD or digital download. OR, you can opt for all of the above for more flexibility, allowing you to share with other family members who don't live nearby.
Apparently this is a pretty detailed process as all the analog media you send to them is carefully converted by hand by a team of trained technicians.
Here are some of the DVDs I received - I also opted for a USB stick which is very useful.
About LegacyBox
LegacyBox is part of a company called Southtree, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce company, which was started by two college roommates in their garage. They have a lot of history with over a decade of digitizing visual and audio assets. They didn't run out of press either - they were called "Best memory keeper" by Good Housekeeping Magazine (yes, they're still there) and a " Must have" by ABC's The View.
They have a 100,000 square foot production facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The cool thing is we took a press trip a few years ago so love the area - nature-wise it's beautiful and their food scene is better than you imagine it too. Oh yeah, and then there's the music. (See the Chattanooga travel guide that we have put together since our stay there)
So what are you waiting for? What a fun project to dive in now that you're more at home than you might normally be this summer.
Take these priceless photos and clean up your closet. The other thing I would add is that the digitized version of your memories also takes up a lot less space, so it's a great way to get organized. It's also a great gift for a friend or family member, isn't it?
For more information, visit the Legacybox website where you can check out their offers and prices.
