The one souvenir I buy on every trip

I spent my last semester in college studying abroad in Italy and traveling to various countries in Europe. Every time I stepped foot in a new country or saw a once-in-a-lifetime sight I had to buy the perfect possession to remember it by:  an oversized coffee cup at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a necklace made of blown glass in Venice and a snow globe from Rome, among other items.

Keep in mind that back then I didn’t drink coffee and I hated wearing necklaces. I bought them because I was happy, and I thought buying stuff would make me happier or I’d somehow keep that happiness high longer through the purchases. I also was doing what every other person was doing: buying the shiny objects that were offered to us.

Later, though, I had to somehow get all the souvenirs back to the United States. I bought a suitcase for 80 euro just for the souvenirs!

The snow globe broke somewhere in the air between Rome and Chicago, while the rest of the souvenirs sat in my childhood bedroom while I continued on with my life. I only recently brought the Eiffel Tower coffee cup to my apartment and now use it to hold all my leftover foreign coins.

I’ve since come up with a souvenir I can buy in every country for the equivalent of a few dollars. It’s something that I enjoy using, have fun picking out and usually has some sort of story behind it.

Here’s what it is:

Bracelets!

These are from Greece. The one on the left is from Santorini and is a talisman meant to ward off bad wishes and bad people. (The evil eye is pervasive on Santorini). The one on the right is from Mykonos and cost less than 2 euro.

 

I’ve never been a fan of necklaces and earrings, only bracelets. I sometimes purchase bracelets that cost a little more but are more durable and can be worn for years. Like these:

This is from Suva, Fiji.

 

Both bracelets are from markets in Italy.

Recently, though, I’ve been focusing on buying bracelets that are even less expensive and wearing them until they basically fall apart. Once that happens it means it’s time for my next adventure.

This is from Broken Bow, Oklahoma. I wore it so long that the knot that made it easy to get on and off fell apart.

Buying bracelets is ideal for me because they’re easy to transport, they’re inexpensive, I actually use them AND I can spend as little or as long as I want to to find the perfect one to remember a trip!

What kind of souvenirs do you purchase while traveling? Do you display your purchases once you get home?

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