“Ever poised on that cusp between past and future, we tie memories to souvenirs like string to trees along life’s path, marking the trail.” Susan Lendroth
My dad collected matchbooks as souvenirs for my little sister and me. Everywhere he went, he'd pick up a couple books for his girls. Souvenir postcards were my jam. I still have the postcard I bought at the Trading Post in Warroad in 1968 with a portrait of Kakaygeesick on it. More than a souvenir, a portal to my past.
What a lovely memory. Souvenirs that parents bring back from work trips are always treasured. Small things like postcards are easier to cope with. I always buy a postcard at exhibitions and use them as bookmarks, often leaving them in the book.
I'm not a tchotchke kind of person. But I do feel a desire to want to bring a piece of the place home with me (beyond the bazillion photos which I do dutifully turn into photo books.) Sometimes I default to a shirt of some sort with the name of the place gracing the front or back. I do wear them for a few years and then I tire of them. So, not the very best way to memorialize a place, I do recognize. Recently, I started to buy jewelry as a reminder of a place I've visited. "Oh, what? These silver hoops? These are my Alaska earrings." "Oh, this turquoise necklace? This is my Arizona necklace." It opens a conversation. And is something that I will keep forever. I have a trip coming up to Italy and I'm not sure what I'll find to remind me the fabulous place I know it will be.
I'm with you. I always buy a pair of earrings. In Milano I bought some beautiful glass earrings, but they were lonely without the necklace, and perhaps the bracelet slipped in as well. But I have loved the set for many years, and always think of that trip when I wear them. Have a great time, and I hope you find something fabulous.
It's another high-quality piece. I appreciated your thoughtful exploration of the role souvenirs play in preserving memories. The story of Mr Duck from New Zealand brought a smile, while your reflection on environmental impact showed a deep awareness. It evokes both emotion and consideration. Thanks for this :)
At a going away party for one of my expat colleagues when I was working in the former Soviet Union, the local staff gave her a, well, what we later referred to as “the grizzly nik nak.” I watched the horror in her eyes as she opened it and coughed out something similar to gratitude, but not. She looked helplessly in my direction where I sat and smirked.
So she moved on and we moved back home. One day, I received a large package without a return address. I opened it and it was the grizzly nik nak.
I hunted her down and returned it to her. I don’t remember how many times it went back and forth until we finally called a truce and donated the thing to a local thrift store, where someone actually chose to buy it.
Thank you for the 'grizzly nik nak' story. My grandmother knew of a family of two elderly sisters and their brother, who were known for their frugality. Eldest sister bought a horrible vase from a thrift store and gave it to the younger sister as a Christmas present. It was a truly horrible vase, and the next Christmas the younger sister sent it to the brother. You can guess the outcome - the next Christmas the brother sent it to the eldest sister. The siblings stopped speaking to each other!
Thanks for that, Kate. I still laugh about the time I was in the Amazon jungle and encouraged to buy some home-made insect jewelry from the elder tribal statesman we'd just met and talked with through an interpreter. I did so quite happily - and on departure from Ecuador, saw the same jewelry at the airport souvenir shop. For less money!
I am careful with souvenirs now, though little things can mean a lot, like a fridge magnet from Costa Rica that I am certain I DID buy from the person who made it (at a craft market in Liberia where we were pretty much the only non-locals). I have found that a good item of clothing is my fave souvenir; it lasts, it has purpose, there can be variety in the clothing and, possibly/hopefully, my purchase helps the economy in the right way. Otherwise, I try and tip well, eat locally, do everything to help the community more than big business.
My partner, meantime, can be found in the souvenir shop!
Clothing is a great souvenir, especially if it is unique. Your Amazon jungle souvenir story was 🤣. I buy earrings, which are small, can be inexpensive, and I love to wear them.
Really, Mr. Duck is just fabulous. I bought a necklace when visiting Sedona Arizona (now 7 summers ago-my last vacation). I originally had set out to purchase something silver with turquoise-very "Western," but the turtle called to me. Sometimes, I just hold it in my hand, to feel its lovely relief on the stone and other times I wear it when I feel I need the grounding energy it seems to exude. I am in the middle of packing...first move in 20 years. It's only an hour away but the weight of leaving a relationship, and all the items I hold prior to putting them in boxes is staggering. Your post helped me so much to remember the lightness they also possess. Thank You!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Having just moved, and with another move on the horizon, I appreciate how exhausted you must feel. I am sad you are leaving a relationship.
The plus side of packing everything is the joy of unpacking, and saying hello again to your beloved belongings. Good luck.
What a lovely story about traveling, souvenirs and love. It was so smart that you bought that charming duck. I am so sentimental, I want to cry. My home is full of souvenirs, mostly from Russia. You can see them on the photo of my bookshelf here, on my Substack's page. They tell so many stories.
How wonderful to have so many souvenirs, especially of a place that is so special to you. I think the benefit of having mementoes around you is underestimated.
My dad collected matchbooks as souvenirs for my little sister and me. Everywhere he went, he'd pick up a couple books for his girls. Souvenir postcards were my jam. I still have the postcard I bought at the Trading Post in Warroad in 1968 with a portrait of Kakaygeesick on it. More than a souvenir, a portal to my past.
What a lovely memory. Souvenirs that parents bring back from work trips are always treasured. Small things like postcards are easier to cope with. I always buy a postcard at exhibitions and use them as bookmarks, often leaving them in the book.
I'm not a tchotchke kind of person. But I do feel a desire to want to bring a piece of the place home with me (beyond the bazillion photos which I do dutifully turn into photo books.) Sometimes I default to a shirt of some sort with the name of the place gracing the front or back. I do wear them for a few years and then I tire of them. So, not the very best way to memorialize a place, I do recognize. Recently, I started to buy jewelry as a reminder of a place I've visited. "Oh, what? These silver hoops? These are my Alaska earrings." "Oh, this turquoise necklace? This is my Arizona necklace." It opens a conversation. And is something that I will keep forever. I have a trip coming up to Italy and I'm not sure what I'll find to remind me the fabulous place I know it will be.
I'm with you. I always buy a pair of earrings. In Milano I bought some beautiful glass earrings, but they were lonely without the necklace, and perhaps the bracelet slipped in as well. But I have loved the set for many years, and always think of that trip when I wear them. Have a great time, and I hope you find something fabulous.
It's another high-quality piece. I appreciated your thoughtful exploration of the role souvenirs play in preserving memories. The story of Mr Duck from New Zealand brought a smile, while your reflection on environmental impact showed a deep awareness. It evokes both emotion and consideration. Thanks for this :)
Many thanks for your kind comment.
At a going away party for one of my expat colleagues when I was working in the former Soviet Union, the local staff gave her a, well, what we later referred to as “the grizzly nik nak.” I watched the horror in her eyes as she opened it and coughed out something similar to gratitude, but not. She looked helplessly in my direction where I sat and smirked.
So she moved on and we moved back home. One day, I received a large package without a return address. I opened it and it was the grizzly nik nak.
I hunted her down and returned it to her. I don’t remember how many times it went back and forth until we finally called a truce and donated the thing to a local thrift store, where someone actually chose to buy it.
Thank you for the 'grizzly nik nak' story. My grandmother knew of a family of two elderly sisters and their brother, who were known for their frugality. Eldest sister bought a horrible vase from a thrift store and gave it to the younger sister as a Christmas present. It was a truly horrible vase, and the next Christmas the younger sister sent it to the brother. You can guess the outcome - the next Christmas the brother sent it to the eldest sister. The siblings stopped speaking to each other!
There should be a law!
Thanks for that, Kate. I still laugh about the time I was in the Amazon jungle and encouraged to buy some home-made insect jewelry from the elder tribal statesman we'd just met and talked with through an interpreter. I did so quite happily - and on departure from Ecuador, saw the same jewelry at the airport souvenir shop. For less money!
I am careful with souvenirs now, though little things can mean a lot, like a fridge magnet from Costa Rica that I am certain I DID buy from the person who made it (at a craft market in Liberia where we were pretty much the only non-locals). I have found that a good item of clothing is my fave souvenir; it lasts, it has purpose, there can be variety in the clothing and, possibly/hopefully, my purchase helps the economy in the right way. Otherwise, I try and tip well, eat locally, do everything to help the community more than big business.
My partner, meantime, can be found in the souvenir shop!
Thanks for sharing.
Clothing is a great souvenir, especially if it is unique. Your Amazon jungle souvenir story was 🤣. I buy earrings, which are small, can be inexpensive, and I love to wear them.
Really, Mr. Duck is just fabulous. I bought a necklace when visiting Sedona Arizona (now 7 summers ago-my last vacation). I originally had set out to purchase something silver with turquoise-very "Western," but the turtle called to me. Sometimes, I just hold it in my hand, to feel its lovely relief on the stone and other times I wear it when I feel I need the grounding energy it seems to exude. I am in the middle of packing...first move in 20 years. It's only an hour away but the weight of leaving a relationship, and all the items I hold prior to putting them in boxes is staggering. Your post helped me so much to remember the lightness they also possess. Thank You!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Having just moved, and with another move on the horizon, I appreciate how exhausted you must feel. I am sad you are leaving a relationship.
The plus side of packing everything is the joy of unpacking, and saying hello again to your beloved belongings. Good luck.
Lovely. And Mr Duck is defintely worth a place in any suitcase.
Thank you. Mr Duck is getting slightly battered - especially after the move.
What a lovely story about traveling, souvenirs and love. It was so smart that you bought that charming duck. I am so sentimental, I want to cry. My home is full of souvenirs, mostly from Russia. You can see them on the photo of my bookshelf here, on my Substack's page. They tell so many stories.
How wonderful to have so many souvenirs, especially of a place that is so special to you. I think the benefit of having mementoes around you is underestimated.