Full-Time Travelers Collect Souvenirs As Well
I didn’t think we collected any, but I now realize that we do.
This is in response to many stories now about souvenirs collected while traveling. Linda Ng started us off with her story:
And it was followed by stories from JoAnn Ryan and Adrienne Beaumont plus more. I will link all the other stories below:)
Travel to me looks different now than it used to. I used to collect many souvenirs and I used to buy souvenirs for friends and family.
I always liked to have some sort of trinket from each place that I visited.
But now, as full-time travelers, we simply can not purchase too much, because, of course, we then have to carry it with us as we move around. Trust me, there are days when I am in a shop and I think ‘when we settle down again, I will buy these things.’
I love bohemian decor and so many of the things we see would fit into my life just perfectly. Plus the tiles in Morocco would put the perfect finishing touch on many things in my future home…….
(sighs while dreaming of a stable life)
But, I digress. That will not be happening anytime soon, so I must resist the temptation to purchase much.
However, there are occasions where we do buy the odd item, and although most of what we buy is for practical purposes, I can now see that they are also their own versions of souvenirs.
Clothes
The lead photo shows me in a Moroccan dress. We were in the Sahara Desert visiting a friend of ours and he mentioned that we could get clothes made. Of course, we hadn’t thought to have something custom-made.
How cool is that?
The next day we went into the market with our host. At one of the fabric booths, I saw a really cool piece of fabric and told him that I want a dress made out of it.
He looked at me astonished. “Really?” He said wide-eyed.
“Yes!” I told him. I was dead serious.
Once I got measured up and a plan was set, Chris was feeling left out. Of course, the guy I went to didn’t make men's clothing, so we had to then go and find him fabric and a men's tailor so that he could get all measured up as well. We both came away with pretty awesome additions to our wardrobe that we still wear to this day.
The fabrics in Morocco are simply to die for, and I feel like a million bucks when I wear my dress! Plus, it only cost us about $30 for both of our outfits!
Rocks
Now, this seems a little counterintuitive, I know. What kind of full-time traveler hauls rocks around with them? Well, we do. More specifically, Chris does. I am able to resist even the prettiest rocks, but he can’t seem to. However, we do have serious talks about them and he keeps his collection to a bare minimum. But, I have to say, the quartz that is on the ground everywhere in southern Uganda is really breathtaking and hard to resist!
Patches
I have this old bag that has come with me from my past life. In fact, I think I have had it now for over 25 years! I don’t even remember the exact place where I bought it, but it was on a holiday with my parents, so I must have been a teenager. Anyways, there is some sort of weird sentimental attachment to it, and it has now followed me around the world on this journey.
However, it is made of cotton. And like all cotton does, it is breaking down.
My solution? Patches!
I figure if I can sew enough patches onto it, I can eventually just make it one big patch bag that will never die. Haha! I have a ways to go yet, but I have started.
I have had to reinforce the whole top seam with embroidery thread, plus replace the handles. You can see that it has had its go with paint (bright blue). While we do use it mostly as a shopping bag, we also use it to carry our mural painting supplies around. This has led to an accident or two with paint getting on it. But I figure it just makes it stronger!
This is by far the oddest possession that I have and don’t want to let go of. Go figure!
Jewelry
Of course, small bits of jewelry are the perfect thing to buy. I have bought some really cool earrings along the way, and also a ring or two. Okay, I have also bought necklaces, bracelets, and anklets as well! These, of course, do not take up much room and they are a great, and colorful, way to remember some of the places that we have visited.
Stickers
Of course, stickers also make lightweight souvenirs. We don’t buy a lot, but when we do we stick them to our laptops or metal water bottles that we have with us at all times. Looking at them reminds us of past places that we visited and they usually trigger good memories.
Keychains
Occasionally we will see a small keychain that we just can’t refuse. Like the sugar skull that we got in a small art studio in Oaxaca, Mexico, or the beaded elephant from Uganda. These do come in handy for when we are given keys for accommodations and things like that. Otherwise, they just hang out on our bags as decorative zipper pulls.
Well, that about wraps up our souvenir shopping these days. While we don’t buy much, we do buy the odd item that will remind us of where we have been. Of course, all of these items are apt to wear out over time (and I almost cry when I lose a special earring), but I always know that we can replace them and get new ones in the up-and-coming places that we will visit.
Thanks for reading and happy souvenir hunting!
xo Jill
PS Thanks for the prompt Linda! That was fun:)
To read more about souvenirs from fellow travelers:
Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We have now been on the African continent for over 2 years!
Subscribe to Medium through my referral link to get full access to my writing plus thousands of others! Plus sign up here to get my articles by email!
Join our adventure by hitting the links below!
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Patreon| YouTube | Medium
