SOUVENIRS | TRAVEL | MINIMALISM
Nomad Souvenirs Must Be Small
The smallest items can make great souvenirs
Being a nomad and a minimalist means that we don’t collect many things as we travel full-time. However, there are still a few things that we pick up as souvenirs as we move around the world. One of my personal collections is earrings.
Bulgaria
The first pair of earrings that I purchased while traveling in recent years is the large ones in the box in the above photo. These were actually acquired in 2015, before we became nomadic in 2017. We were on a 6 week trip to Greece, Bulgaria and Italy, and during the exploration of the seaside town of Sozopol in Bulgaria, I couldn’t help but purchase these beautiful earrings from a fellow artisan.
We were walking the quaint streets and fortress walls of this beautiful city when we came upon his gallery. He had many different types of jewellery available, but I was drawn to these earrings and have kept them ever since. They must be special because they survived the big purge when we sold everything to travel full-time a couple years later.
I’m not exactly sure what they are made of as the proprietor of the shop didn’t speak English, but I’m guessing they have paua shell or something like it in them which gives them the shimmer. The man I bought them from claimed that he was the artist, which is great. As an artist myself, I always like to support other artists directly when I can. I will always remember his happy grin when I purchased these during a very drizzly December day when I’m sure he wasn’t getting many customers.
We left Bulgaria after only a short visit and vowed that we would be back. Thankfully that did happen in 2022 and we enjoyed 3 months exploring the country. While staying in a hostel in Varna, where we were painting a mural, the owner of the hostel had the cutest crocheted sunflower earrings in her ears and I expressed how much I loved them. Shortly thereafter she disappeared into her room and came out with another pair that she had purchased just in case she found somebody to gift them to. I was honored that she found me worthy of this cause.
These are now my favorite earrings! They really brighten up my mood when I wear them.
Morocco
There is a story behind why I have three of the same earring as you can see in the lead photo. These ones hail from Chefchaouen, Morocco.
We had been exploring the adorable blue alleyways of the city famously known as ‘The Blue City’ when we came across one of the many jewellery shops. It was early in the morning and we were the first customers.
For those that don’t know, there is a wide spread superstition amongst shop vendors in the world that they must secure a sale from their first customer of the morning or they will have bad luck with sales for the remainder of the day. So as a customer, you have the negotiating power in this situation. Of course, I would never suggest that you take advantage of shop-keepers, but just know that they REALLY want to make that first sale so you have to pull up your bargaining boots.
I bought two pairs that morning and was absolutely in love with the spiral earrings and wore them relentlessly for the first week or two after I bought them. One night I accidentally went to bed with them on and it wasn’t until we left our accommodation, and were well down the road, that I realized that I was missing an earring. I was devastated!
Thankfully we returned to Chefchaouen later in our trip and I marched straight back to the same shop and bought an identical pair. So now I have a spare!
Mexico
Mexico is full of color, culture and life! I couldn’t help but buy two pairs of earrings while we stayed in San Crostobal de las Casas and Oaxaca city. The brown ones are a little more subdued in color than my usual, but I loved the concept of using macrame to make them. Now that I have been making friendship bracelets again, I have considered delving into the realm of making earrings as well. We will see what transpires.
I also love the bright beadwork that exists in the country. Below I am wearing these earrings on Canada’s birthday this year on July 1st (along with my Guatemalan woven tank top which I will tell you about in another article).
Both of these pairs were purchased directly from the artists either on the street or in a local craft market.
Guatemala
I found these interesting wooden earrings in Flores, Guatemala. I’m quite certain that the shop owner was not the artist, but that’s okay. I really like how unique they are and had never owned wooden earrings before. Initially I was a bit worried about them getting wet and the wood splitting apart. But they have lasted for about 5 years now!
US Virgin Islands
Tucked into the box with my first Bulgaria earrings are my treasured turtle earrings. I couldn’t help but purchase these adorable earrings which remind me of our sailing trip that we did with my parents in the Virgin Islands back in 2019. They are the only ones I have that don’t dangle.
Sadly, I can’t remember the name of the material that is in the middle, but they are turquoise, which is my favorite color. So that is what counts:) Plus I love how they shimmer.
Canada
I still have two (and a half) pairs of earrings that remind me of Canada. The wire ones were purchased at a music festival on an island that is near to where we lived on the west coast before we sold it all to travel the world. They remind me of a time, place, and culture of people that I’m pretty sure only exist on the west coast of Canada.
The green pair was actually made by me while I owned an art gallery that had my art studio on site. I made and sold quite a few earrings back then and I am glad that I kept a pair for myself so that I am reminded of that time in my life. These are made with polymer clay — a soft modeling clay that hardens in the oven when you bake it.
In the lead photo you will also see one singular dragonfly earring. This was made by one of the artists in our gallery and I really loved them. Sadly, I lost one along the way somewhere. Usually I begrudgingly throw out single earrings when I lose one, but the creator of this earring has since passed away, so I have been hanging on to it for sentimental reasons.
Of course, as nomads, we can ONLY do this with small items!
Being a minimalist means that ‘most’ of what we own is deemed necessary for our day to day lives. This also means that our possessions are paired down to items that generally mean something to us. When I think of my earring collection from my previous static life, I realize that much of what I had purchased really meant nothing to me. But now, I have a story to tell with each pair, and each one brings back memories of a time and place where I purchased or acquired them.
Plus, I love bringing them with me as I travel around the world, somehow in some small way, bringing cultures from different countries together in one place.
Souvenirs is our October writing prompt at Globetrotters! Do you have unique souvenirs that you want to tell us about?
We have received so many amazing responses to this prompt this month! Two that stand out to me are:
Roberta Patellaro is on a mission to find real silk scarves in Uzbeckistan.
Kim Baker has a similar collection to mine!
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