I took my first trip overseas when I was 17 years old and it’s been non-stop journey ever since. Almost every summer I strap on my globetrotting shoes and take off to explore all the beauty this world has to offer. I always find a little piece of myself hiding in some far flung place as though it was waiting for me to bring it home. Perhaps, that’s why I don’t buy souvenirs. The best memories come from experiences and the epiphanies that follow. None of which can be bought in a tourist trap. Instead, I look to where my feet land and pick up what lies in my path.
Upper left: Prague
The larger block is a cobblestone from a sidewalk I strolled along every day. In the morning I’d wonder what I would see that day and in the evening I was filled with awe. The strength and beauty of this place taught me to never give up . . . ever.
The white stone is from the Vltava River. In the middle of the river is an island park filled with large trees and park benches. The shade and quiet made for a nice afternoon of reading and picking up stones.
The gray stone is from a walkway that winds through Prague’s infamous Jewish graveyard. The Jewish Quarter of Prague tells a story that spans centuries of segregation when Jews were relegated to one small part of the city and one small graveyard. The result is an overcrowded cemetery filled with gravestones piled one on top of the other. I picked up this stone to remind me of the struggles that so many endured on account of racism and hate. It symbolizes my hope that humanity will one day learn this lesson for good.
Upper Middle: London
The white shell and flat red stone are from the shoreline of Thames. In a previous post, Sand in My Shoes, I wrote about fulfilling my bucket list wish of walking along the Thames at low tide. These two items are my mementos of crossing that item off my list.
Upper right: Ireland
The large gray stone is from the Burren region. I picked it up after walking to the edge of a cliff that towers over the ocean. I looked straight down a couple hundred feet and watched the waves crash against craggy rocks and into a hollow ravine. There was no rail to keep me from falling and no one around to hold me back. There’s nothing quite as terrifying or liberating as looking out to the open sea and realizing there is nothing to catch me. The stone serves as a reminder to be brave and put my toe to the edge.
The ragged gray rock is a piece of mortar from Blarney Castle. If the castle comes crumbling down, I guess you can blame me. This little piece came from a spot near the bottom of the back wall of the castle. It was already loose, so I just finished the job. I wish I had a better reason other than I thought it was a cool thing to have, but I don’t. How many people can say, “I have a piece of Blarney Castle?”
The seashell crescent and the two stones beside it are from the coastline of Waterville . I’m not much of a beach person, but the ocean is beautiful no matter where it crashes ashore. It was a rainy, cold day but the sound of waves lulled me out to the sandy beach. This part of Ireland is very serene so I picked up a few smooth stones as a way to take that feeling home with me.
Click for more . . .
Sometimes travel takes me a little closer to home . . .
Lower Left: Wisconsin
The Maple and Birch leaves are from the woods around my aunt and uncle’s cabin. Wisconsin is home to many wonderful childhood memories. As an adult, I still take leaves home to keep the Northwoods with me as much as possible. Sometimes I think my inner child lives in those leaves.
Lower Middle: South Carolina
The purple seashells and shark teeth fossils are from Myrtle Beach. When I was younger I went to South Carolina number of times to visit family. Saltwater has never been a friend to my skin, so I walked up and down the beach instead. I enjoyed the time to think and the treasures that often appeared in the sand. A sharp eye will find dozens of shark teeth in a single day (I have hundreds more!). Both the shells and teeth are like little testaments of history and I love feeling that connection with the past.
But I always end up wandering off to somewhere far away . . .
Lower Right: French Polynesia
The coral comes from the coast of Huahine, a tiny less developed island near Tahiti. I loved the solitude and peace of this island, but the coral kept me on my toes. One lapse in attention and it’ll cut right into your foot. Ouch! This particular piece didn’t get any blood out of me, but it very well could have! I picked it up for its beauty, but also because it reminds me to always be aware of my surroundings.
I keep all of these items on a shelf where I can see them every day. Not only do they conjure wonderful memories of the places I’ve been, but they keep me curious of the next place awaiting my arrival.
c.b. 2011
wow what an unusual post about your travels! love the artifacts you collected 🙂
http://sandbetweentoes.wordpress.com/
LikeLike
Thanks for reading! 🙂 I’m looking forward to checking out your blog.
LikeLike
A friend of mine collected gutter covers – not the real iron ones of course, she took photographs. After a few years she had an incredible collection of decorated gutter covers from all over Europe.
Thank you for this post, It woke up some nice memories 🙂
LikeLike
What an interesting collection your friend has amassed! 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever noticed gutter covers before, but I’ll be looking the next time I go to Europe.
Thank you for reading . . . I’m glad it brought back some good memories.
LikeLike
Oops, I think you might go looking for the wrong thing…I just realised the mistake in my translation – what I mean is manhole covers.
LikeLike
I love this… I’m a collector of shells and rocks as well, and it’s so fun to see my boys doing the same thing now. We all have our own little boxes of travel memories. I’ve always wanted to visit Prague…. you write beautifully of it. 🙂
LikeLike
Prague is one of those cities that grabbed onto to my soul and never let go. It’s a truly beautiful city and I hope to write about it more if inspiration calls.
How wonderful that your sons have adopted your love of collecting rocks and shells! 🙂
LikeLike
You have lived an interesting life. Thanks for sharing. Once again I am made aware of my own environment and the small momentos I have collected, but in a drawer there, or on a shelf here, or up or under….not organized but happy rememberances when I happen upon them.
LikeLike
It’s always fun to find a memento when you least expect it. There is one I’m missing and I keep hoping I’ll run across it every time I open a drawer or a cabinet. It can’t have wandered too far away!
Keep your memories close for they are an amazing source of inspiration! 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful post! (why am I not surprised 🙂 ) We are twins it seems, in picking up the things others would walk upon unnoticed, and keep them as a memory. I don’t pick up physical memories as much as I used to, for no matter how much they mean to you, on a Pirate ship, they’re merely ballast. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks! I’m proud to be your twin. 😉
Lol! 😀 Ah, yes pirates travel light.
LikeLike
enermazing,
Manhole covers are even more interesting! I never thought to give them much thought, but I’ll bet there are some pretty cool designs out there. 🙂
LikeLike
The best memories are free! Cool post.
LikeLike
Thanks! 🙂
I told you I could make rocks interesting. Lol!
LikeLike
Prague, London, Wisconsin, South Carolina….an Island off Tahati I think maybe you could parlay this into writing a travel article! Ooops I forgot Ireland. Smart of you not to spend a ton of money on silly trinkets when you can bring home objects, at no cost, that are touchstones to your memories. That way you have more $ to spend on travel again!
LikeLike
Better stories come from free stuff, too. If I bought it in a store, there wouldn’t be much to tell! 😉
One of these days I’ll get around to writing more about the trips I’ve taken. I’ll turn this blog in to National Geographic once a week. Ha ha!
LikeLike
It amazes me that you know such detailed history for each item. I adore post cards but it’s not the same as having a tangible piece of a place that really means something to you. You must have such a rich and intriguing cabinet or bookcase full of little bits and pieces of the world; it must be wonderful to be able to pick up a stone and be brought back to that moment.
You’re so right that something that most people overlook or take for grated as part of the scenery can be the most special.
LikeLike
Well, I remember the important stuff, but detailed journaling takes care of whatever slips my mind, (for example, I had to look up the name of the town where my Irish stones originated). 😉 Aside from the little things I pick up, the best thing I bring home from any trip is my journal filled with pages of entries and thoughts. I can relieve any trip whenever I want!
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
Before one of my cousins knew what was a ‘legitimate’ gift, she gave me a collection of rocks from her favorite places (all within 20 feet of her house) when I was in a really bad accident. There must be something deep down in people that can connect deeper meaning and memory with simple objects. I like that you’re showing you don’t need expensive souvenirs to remember.
LikeLike
How sweet of your cousin to give you something that was so important to her. 🙂
My pebbles and shells are priceless to me, yet meaningless to everyone else. 😉 They were here long before I ever existed and I’m sure they’ll end up in the ground once again after I’m gone. But at least for a little while they carry some beautiful memories.
Thank you for such an insightful comment and I hope you stop by again.
LikeLike
The photo itself took my breath away – a lovely still life. And then the stories! What a wonderful way to set you memories in stone…and shells…and other sweet tangibles. Lucky you!
LikeLike
Thanks for the kind words regarding the picture . . . you are one of my photography heroes so it means a lot. 🙂
LikeLike
Reading this was like browsing a scrapbook of lovely gentle memories. It was a time out for me, peaceful, filled with smiles. thank you! you blessed my day.
LikeLike
Thank you for such kind words! 🙂 I’m so glad it brought a little beauty into your day.
LikeLike
Nice to know I’m not the only sentimental fool who gathers pebbles and sticks from travels.
(And no, I’m not calling you a fool. Just a sentimental fool. There is a difference!)
Great pieces — great post!
🙂
LikeLike
Thanks! 🙂 I have to say its nice to know I’m not alone.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
LikeLike
I agree. Anything can be a souvenir, but we often take take these natural beauties around us for granted just because it’s free when in fact they make the best souvenirs. Thank you for this great post!
LikeLike
Thanks so much for reading!
It’s true that we take so much of nature for granted. But then the very best things are usually right under our noses.
Thanks for comment. 🙂
LikeLike
A really neat idea you have about souvenirs. Gift shops are so full of stuff that’s frequently made in places other than where you buy it. Finding souvenirs along the way seems more unique to your visit, and you have great stories to go along with them.
LikeLike
You’re so right! Almost everything is made somewhere else! But when I went to China, it was a different story! Lol.
Thanks so much for reading!
LikeLike
I love this post. I love found treasures–the unexpected–gifts from the travel gods!
I especially love transforming found objects into art. You might appreciate this post I wrote about that process. It’s called “I’ve Saved some Strange Stuff in the Name of Art.”
http://reinventingtheeventhorizon.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/i%e2%80%99ve-saved-some-strange-stuff-in-the-name-of-art%e2%80%94/
Kathy
LikeLike
Thanks so much! 🙂
I will definitely check out your post. It sounds really interesting and inspiring.
LikeLike
You made me think about the jar that sits on the window ledge in my studio. It is an old pint mason jar filled with sand and shells from the first time my husband went to the ocean. I have a snapshot showing how the north Atlantic captured him. I seldom pull out that snap shot, but that jar sitting there day in and day out always brings back so many memories of sharing that experience with my husband. I can hear the sound the ocean makes, the smell of the ocean, and see the waves rushing in. All from a free souvenir 30 years later. Thanks for you post,
LikeLike
What a wonderful story! 🙂 Thanks for sharing. I’m always amazed at how an object can bring back memories. Smells, sensations, sound, color, etc all come back with vivid detail as if you were still in that moment.
LikeLike
Very interesting post! I’ve not traveled as much as I would like to, but I have spent extended periods of time in Israel and the best souvenir for me was a rock I picked up in the Negev desert. I keep it safe in a small box on my nightstand and it has become a kind of good luck charm for me. It holds memories of my incredible trips to Israel.
LikeLike
That sounds like an amazing trip! A stone like yours should be kept safe and treasured!
Thanks for sharing your story. 🙂
LikeLike
Haha! I also took a piece of Blarney Castle with me before I left! So don’t feel too badly if it comes crashing down – you have someone to share the blame with. 😉
Great post and congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
LikeLike
LOL! Oh my goodness. I wonder how many other people have a piece of that castle! It’s my one guilty moment, (that I don’t regret!).
Thanks for the congrats – I’m still in FP shock! 😀
LikeLike
I used to collect these gigantic pine cones in Italy…as a matter of fact, my motehr still displays a few in her sitting room!…lol… and sea shells of course… always a classic…
LikeLike
Oh my! You just reminded me of something I forgot I had! Thank you! I’ve also collected pine cones from places throughout the States! I’m so excited to go find them. 🙂
I’ll bet those Italian cones are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your story! 🙂
LikeLike
great post.. congrats on fp.. 😀
LikeLike
Thanks! 🙂
LikeLike
Great post! I grew up in WI as well. Those leaves brought back many memories for me too! 🙂
LikeLike
I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂 Thanks so much for reading!
What part of Wisconsin?
LikeLike
great post! how every little things are so important for you!
great idea : )
LikeLike
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
I love the way you look at the world with your simple and natural souveniers. My best friend does something similar. Whenever she goes somewhere, she looks for heart-shaped rocks on the floor and collects them all into a jar. Whenever I travel to another city, state, or country I always look out for those and bring a bunch home! I enjoyed reading your post, and thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
I love the heart shaped rocks! How cute is that?? You are so nice to bring them home for her. Thanks for sharing your story. 🙂
LikeLike
This is interesting… I have been to Prague and it is a fantastic city. Really, if a person goes to one European city in their lifetime (not including the one they live in, if living in europe) then it should be prague. I liked just walking around the city more than visiting the tourist sites.
LikeLike
Wandering is my favorite way to travel. A place opens up with all sorts of possibilities when the tour book is tossed aside. 🙂
You’re so right about Prague. It’s a secret Europe has kept for far too long – I’m so glad the world is rediscovering this beautiful city.
LikeLike
This is really interesting…awesome post! That’s a really good idea, by the way. 😀
LikeLike
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
LikeLike
Too cool. My wife and I have shells, rocks and driftwood from all over the world. Sounds cheesy, but it reminds us of where we’ve been. Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
LikeLike
Not cheesy at all! It’s very sweet! 🙂
Thanks for the congrats! I’m still so surprised!
LikeLike
Lovely stories and souvenirs. I normally take photographs as my souvenirs, although I have some physical objects, both free and purchased.
LikeLike
Pictures and journals are my other “free” souvenirs. 🙂
Thanks so much for reading!
LikeLike
I have to agree with you on this. One of my absolute favorite souvenirs from my trip to the beach this summer was a large piece of smoky white sea glass that I found. It was special to me because I found it while out walking with my boyfriend, and until then I’d only found sea glass of a quarter to a half inch in diameter, but this piece was about an inch wide.
LikeLike
My step-mom collects sea glass, too. Her collection is so pretty and I’ll bet yours is as well. What a find on that large piece – that is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your story. 🙂
LikeLike
Those are some really neat souvenirs. Next time I go on vacation I’m going to do something like that instead of buying something from a gift shop.
I’ll appreciate it if you checked out my blog http://janachantel1.wordpress.com/ it’s about me trying to become a successful published author. And please feel free to subscribe!
LikeLike
I’ll check it out. Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
Great post, I shared it with my husband who always laughs at me for bringing home rocks and bits of nature as souvenirs of my trip. I recently returned from Mexico and had to leave my books behind to bring back a large rock, luggage was over weight…oh but it was worth it! It sits in my bathroom has the latest crown jewel for my collection….so unique. Can’t wait to find my next treasure, here I come West Palm Beach!
LikeLike
Wow – That must be a beautiful rock if it meant forsaking books! 😉 It sounds like a wonderful treasure with great memories. I’m so glad you shared your story. Thank you!
LikeLike
Heh, I have yet to travel overseas…someday maybe, I hope. You’ve had a lot of trips to collect stuff on though, pretty cool.
LikeLike
The world awaits! All you have to do is pack up and go! 🙂 Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
I couldn’t agree more..I love going through my treasures and remembering happy and sometimes sad memories. Some day I think I will gather them into a chunky scrapbook and journal so the memories will last when I am gone. Thank you for sharing your treasures.
LikeLike
That sounds like a great idea! 🙂
Thanks so much for your comment.
LikeLike
You have some big shark teeth. I look for them at the beach, but I always find tiny ones.
LikeLike
The little ones make up the majority of my collection, but once in a blue moon I’d find a big one. I found the short fat one because I stubbed my toe on it!
Thanks for the comment. 🙂
LikeLike
I too love to travel and I love your post because I’m always picking up odd things from places I go to also. Thanks for sharing!!
LikeLike
You’ve got my curiosity going . . . What sorts of odd things?
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
I collect a bit of earth from my travel spots too…
LikeLike
🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
Fantastic post. Although I’m not widely traveled like you, I tend to collect little trinkets like the ones you’ve picked up because they have a connection to experiences and the places I love. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Some of my favorite stones are from places very close by. Memories are beautiful no matter where they come from. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
LikeLike
Great post. I love to keep small keepsakes from my travels in my office, and around the house to remind me off the places I’ve been and those who have travelled with me. Great writing!
LikeLike
I love how you place your keepsakes in your office. 🙂 What a great way to keep your memories close when you need them most!
Thanks for your kind comment! 🙂
LikeLike
I love this little glimpse inside your travel journal ~ almost sweeps my heart away to those places you describe: the cliff, your family’s cabin, the Carolina shore. Thank you so much for sharing your memories and these special artifacts. oh! and muy congratulations on being freshly pressed!! my best, Diane
LikeLike
Thank you for such a nice comment! I really appreciate it. 🙂
LikeLike
I love to the see the world through other peoples eyes…and I agree the best things are free!
LikeLike
Thanks so much for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Colt:) Ha ha – I was so sure it was your blog when I saw a link on my WordPress homepage with CB Wentworth. Very proud to see you’re still blogging and that your posts are still as interesting as always – keep it up:) Love your travel collection photo too! Nicci
LikeLike
What wonderful treasures! I must agree, collecting little finds along the way of a trip is satisfying knowing you found it and not to mention–it’s free! I always love taking shells from the beach, and I know some people snagged a rock or two from sites like Machu Picchu in Peru when I visited a few months ago–although it’s not preferred. Still, they’re such great little earthly remembrances.
LikeLike
You really can’t beat free! The value, however, is priceless. 🙂
Wow . . . Machu Picchu! The memories attached to those stones would be nothing short of incredible. Hmmm . . . if stones could talk!
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
LikeLike
I’m a stones, rocks, shell and leaf collector too. My sister tells me I’m the only one she knows who goes to Australia with a half full a rucksack, and comes back with a rock inside it. I think not! There’s pleny of us out here. Lovely post and blog.
LikeLike
Indeed, you are not alone. 🙂 How could anyone leave Australia without a rock! I’m sure your Aussie stone is just gorgeous!
Thanks so much reading and sharing your story!
LikeLike
What a wonderful way of remembering all the places you went to.
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
LikeLike
I have rocks from all over the world: South Africa, Guatemala, Belize, California, and Antarctica just to name a few… but shhh don’t tell anyone.
LikeLike
Wow . . . very impressive! Antarctica is truly a remarkable keepsake. 🙂
LikeLike
Whooo hooo! You got pressed!!!!! Congratulations!
LikeLike
Thank you!!! 🙂 I was so surprised to my post on the front page. I hadn’t check my e-mail yet, so I didn’t know until I logged in and saw it. So exciting!
LikeLike
Well, it is certainly well deserved! And look at all the comments!! What fun – enjoy!!
LikeLike
i have this fabulous glass container with a glass lid, and i keep shells, coral, beach glass, and coins in it as a reminder of my worldy adventures. and i didn’t pay a cent for any of it. great blog!
LikeLike
Your jar sounds wonderful – oh the memories it must hold. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your free souvenirs!
LikeLike
Wow! I really loved your treasures! I’ve brought back similar things from my travels. I loved the lessons that the treasures taught you.
LikeLike
Thank you for your comment – I appreciate your visit to my blog! 🙂
LikeLike
“I looked straight down a couple hundred feet and watched the waves crash against craggy rocks and into a hollow ravine. There was no rail to keep me from falling and no one around to hold me back. There’s nothing quite as terrifying or liberating as looking out to the open sea and realizing there is nothing to catch me.”
Absolutely. First of all – you write very, very well; you describe with such detail and color that the entire scene is clear in the mind. Secondly, I can identify with this quoted passage: realizing your potential, vulnerability, perhaps your own mistrust of self — coming up to a situation where decisions are crucial, life changing and terrifying — I’m sure that up there, you could experience all of those emotions and stand in awe of the fascinating nature and capabilities of humanity.; the power we have been blessed with, and simultaneously, the mortal and weak side of our natures.
“Sometimes I think my inner child lives in those leaves”.
I have the same appreciation for leaves (and other natural treasures). I have a leaf taped into my (8th) journal — I picked it up during a memorable walk with my husband and dog one day. When they look so beautiful, I hate to think of the next person walking along and carelessly crushing them.
Aun Aqui
LikeLike
Thank you for such kind words. Ireland was indeed the first signal of some life altering decisions that later took place. It was a year that changed everything. 🙂
Ah, but for the trees to grow the leaves must be crushed, (save those that serve as conduits for our memories).
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
Great post and I will keep checking your site for more. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Thanks for commenting! 🙂 Hope to see you around again.
LikeLike
I’m the same! Whenever a friend or family member goes on vacation and asks, “What would you like?” I say something simple like sand, rocks, or a dried flower. Those things mean more than anything else.
http://thediaryofsugarandspice.wordpress.com/
LikeLike
A few years ago my dad went to Egypt and back a bag of sand because he knew I’d love that more than anything else. He was so right. Egypt is on my bucket list and when I see that sand, it reminds me to keep dreaming.
I’ll be checking out your blog! Thanks for reading mine. 🙂
LikeLike
That’s so beautiful, what a great idea! Each object has such special meaning and comes with a story. Love it! I would totally do that if I ever get to travel the world someday 🙂
LikeLike
Memories are close to home as well. After I wrote this post, I realized I did not have a memento from home. Next time I go for a run I’ll be on the lookout for my “home” rock.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
This is very interesting! Nostalgic!
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
From a fellow traveler I completely agree that “the best souvenirs are free.” When I buy things as souvenirs for others I find that many of them enjoy being given the commercialized gifts such as bracelets or key chains with the country’s name printed on it (ridiculously over priced). But when you are the traveler I have noticed that you do not remember as much the souks or hats you have jokingly put on in a souvenir shop as you do the amazing sunsets and the morning smell with fresh bread being made in the local shops saturating the air or the motorcycle rides weaving in and out of traffic. One sea shell may bring back so many more sensory memories than any cheaply printed name of the country hanging from my key chain or wrist ever could.
LikeLike
Very well said! Anything you buy in those shops usually breaks or becomes meaningless over time. The only exception to the rule for comes when I buy something from a local artist, like a photograph or painting. I’ll spend my money at a local bookshop as well, but only because I always form an emotional attachment to my books. 😉
Still, the very best souvenirs come from the place itself. They carry not only our memories, but the memory of so much more, (I always wonder how long a shell has been thrown around the see or how long a rock had been sitting in that particular spot).
Thanks so much for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
It is the little things..those happenstance moments/items that reawaken the journey or the experience. Thanks for sharing 🙂
LikeLike
It’s so true . . . the little things are the BIG things. 🙂
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
What a wonderful post! Beautifully written, and especially appreciated for two reasons: First, because I loved your wistful descriptions of some of your favorite places; and second, because it’s a comfort to know that my habit of collecting rocks and seeds and shells during my travels isn’t all that unusual, after all. Congrats on being Freshly Pressed … very well deserved!
LikeLike
Thanks for the congrats! 🙂
As the slew of comments here proves, we are definitely not alone. It’s nice to know there are a lot of people who find a strong connection with nature even if its just a small piece. Those little rocks and shells keep us grounded and focused on what matters most.
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
What fantastic souvenirs! Much more personal than the usual tourist tat. My collection of sand from the different coastal resorts I’ve visited started inadvertantly when i emptied my suitcase out on the floor. Now I have 24 different sands layered in a bottle, each it’s own shade of beige, each strata holding an individual memory! Congrats on beng FP and look forward to more interesting posts soon!
LikeLike
Thanks for the congrats!
Your sand collection sounds fantastic! 🙂 I’ve thought about doing the same thing from the shorelines of all the lakes I visit. Perhaps, now is the time to start.
LikeLike
I still have stones from an ice-cold lake in the Wicklow mountain area of Ireland. I can still feel the freezing water when I touch the stone. A much better souvenir than the Guinness hangover I got in Dublin!!!
LikeLike
Oh, I’ll bet that stone came from such a beautiful place. How cool that the sensation still finds you when you touch the stone! A memory like that will stay with you forever! 🙂
(Guinness did the same thing to me. Lol!)
LikeLike
Thank you for a stroll around the world. It was a refreshing few minutes of stress free reflection in an otherwise stressful day. What a gift both your post and your photograph were to me. Thank you!
LikeLike
Aw, I’m glad you got a few moments of peace. 🙂
Thanks so much for reading and I’m glad you enjoyed the trip.
LikeLike
I have jars and jars of rocks picked up in various places, but I generally forget their stories. You inspire to try to remember them better.
LikeLike
Sometimes all you need to do is hold the stone. It’s amazing how the power of touch can bring it all back. 🙂
LikeLike
I love this blog! Manhole covers comment made me laugh so hard. We collect rocks everywhere we go. Last place was Devils Canyon Arizona. You can find some amazing rocks there. I think we both left our hike about 24 pounds heavier. So much fun. Great blog!
LikeLike
A heavy backpack is worth the memories, right? 😉
There are some really beautiful stones in Arizona! In my car, I keep a small stone from Sedona in my car because it reminds of a fun road trip I took with family.
Thanks so much reading!
LikeLike
Thanks so much for your inspiring posts! I’ve reblogged you at least a few times since starting my blog and you’re always a great read and help to me. Have fun and stay safe out there!
LikeLike
Thank you so much! 🙂 Inspiration is everywhere and I hope it continues to find its way to you.
LikeLike
This is a very interesting and entertaining blog. Check out this from my website –
http://grimke.wordpress.com/photo-gallery/
LikeLike
Will do.
Thanks for reading. 🙂
LikeLike
A very different & delightful post. I liked the way you have connected the artifacts with lessons you learned while visiting these places. Will definitely remember this post when I travel next time. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
LikeLike
Thank you. 🙂
I’ve always considered travel to be a lot like a wide-open classroom. Every place teaches something and I go in hoping to learn.
LikeLike
Thats a good one. I will remember that 🙂 Thank you!
LikeLike
Congratulations on being freshly pressed!
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂 It’s one crazy ride!
LikeLike
I love your collaboration of globetrotting pieces! The best memories come from that one object, that one picture, that every time you view it, you are instantly transported back to that moment when it was found. It brings a nice nostalgic sense, as well as decorations to be constant reminders! I myself am a rock, seashell and leaf treasurer. It’s so wonderful you have all of the stories on the dot of each memento- you could make yourself a little book with all of your stories! Wonderful, wonderful!
LikeLike
Those little objects really testify to just how powerful your imagination can be when coupled with memory. I’ve gone on all my trips hundreds of times!
All my stories are in a series of little books . . . my journals. 😉
Thanks so much for reading! Keep collecting those beautiful objects!
LikeLike
Nice entry! I have always tried to collect a typical rock, slightly smaller than fist-sized, from every mountain top I reached – even small walk-up ones. It’s interesting to compare the different colors and tectures and how much they reflect the larger mass they came from.
LikeLike
You’re collection is one in a million! What a great way to catalog your amazing accomplishments. I’ll bet each one brings back an amazing view.
Thank you for sharing your story! 🙂
LikeLike
I loved this article, as a fellow travel lover. It really hit home though cause I definitely share same views! I’ll be checking back for more 🙂
LikeLike
I’ll be writing some more about my recent trip to London, so stay tuned. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
agreed! the best souvenirs are the experiences – seeing/learning/doing new things, meeting different people.
LikeLike
Yup! T-shirt fades and keychains break, but the experience never dies.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
A little side hobby of mine during my travels is to collect currency – though it’s not exactly free (!) I’m left with a nice treasure trove of bills and coins from lots of different countries. Loved your post, looking forward to more!
Leonard
http://lightsketches.wordpress.com/
LikeLike
I do the same thing! Anything that’s left over is kept in a little box. Currency is always so representative of the place and its like having a little piece of art. 🙂
I’ll be sure to check out your blog!
Thanks for sharing your story!
LikeLike
I wish I traveled abroad more. I have never had the opportunity, except to Canada once. It is a requirement for my major (Global Communication) to go abroad, at least for a week, so I will surely take advantage of that! Now, it is just picking where to go…
LikeLike
Deciding where to is the hard part! 😉 But once you start looking, the right place will jump right out at you. Happy traveling!
LikeLike
Very well thought-out post. Your sharks’ teeth reminded me of Myrtle Beach as well- so glad to see that I guessed correctly! I used to go every summer, also to visit family. My mom and I would walk on the beach, looking for sharks’ teeth- she always found a lot. Somehow, though, they never made it home with us. Maybe next time, we’d always say. Congrats on FP.
LikeLike
Thanks for the congrats! 🙂
Definitely slide a few shark teeth into your pocket next time you go. You’ll treasure the memory with your mother. I found mine with my father and those memories are among my favorite of him.
Thank you for sharing your story!
LikeLike
I love this post and totally agree with your sentiment! Our favorite souvenir from our time in Singapore is our youngest daughter 🙂
LikeLike
That’s definitely a wonderful souvenir that will bring you much joy in the future! 🙂
LikeLike
Nice post! I agree with the small memento as you walk by approach. I have a small pebble as a reminder of when I jumped off a cliff many years ago. (The story isn’t that dramatic, but here goes:)
I was on a whitewater rafting trip in NZ and the guide decided we weren’t getting wet enough. He made everyone get out, climb up a narrow cliff above the river (only about 20 feet) and jump into the water from the top (lifejackets on of course)
I was at the top not wanting to jump at all, but didn’t want to be the one to hold up the whole group. As I was debating what to do, my eye caught sight of a small green pebble near my foot. It looked out of place and without thinking about it any further, put it in my pocket and jumped.
It’s a reminder that sometimes one should just… take the plunge…. 🙂
LikeLike
What a great story! 🙂 I hope you keep that little green pebble in a place where you can see it every day. Life is all about taking that leap!
Thanks so much for sharing your story!
LikeLike
Beautifully written! The best souvenirs are free and I even think that some of the best souvenirs are the memories and the amazing people you meet on your travels. Your post has given me itchy travel feet!
LikeLike
While I was writing this piece all I wanted to do was jump on the next plane. Never mind, that I was out of the country for most of the summer! Lol.
I hope you’re next trip is an amazing adventure!
LikeLike
I’de happen upon things that caught my interest as a child. I always thought they had magical powers.
Now that I am grown I still collect these things – mostly because I find them fasinating. I don’t travel as
much as I like too – nor do most of my treasures hail from forign lands – except maybe the seashells –
Mostly I collect oak galls from the tree in my yard – when they are perfect enough, broken spiral snail
shells from a muddy local beach – as they resemble vertibre and I call them sea bones – but once or
twice there have been moments. I once visited an old abandoned sulpher mine, reported to be haunted.
It was not far from one of those roadside shrines they erect where a person suffers a fatal accident –
the shrine was in the center of a makshift local dump – someone had recently dumped a load of crab
shells and the smell was awful. Their were fresh flowers on the cross – someone whould have to wade
through garbage to reach their pathetic memorial. I followed my parents to the mine building – it was
beautiful – giant sprawling black oaks everywhere, something that looked like an armadillo made me
step off the path – where I got that overwhelming sence of rightness I often get when amoungst trees
almost as if there is nothing mother nature can’t erase – can’t whipe clean. I looked down and found a
bit of dead root that bore an uncanny resemblence to a dragon. I’ve always liked dragons. It felt like a
gift so I took it home – it rests on the most prominent place in my shadow box, amoung things old new
bought and found.
LikeLike
Wow! You’re collection is truly amazing. Not just for the unique items you’ve chosen, but for what they mean to you. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories!
LikeLike
Thanks for reading them.
LikeLike
I can feel and see each place through your mementos. Your heart and soul come right off the screen in your depictions. Keep traveling so we can share in the joy!
LikeLike
Travel is all about taking a place and accepting all the beauty it has to offer. In return, it becomes part of who you are. It’s almost too easy to have passion and joy for that sort of relationship. 🙂
I will always travel and I hope you’ll always be along to experience it with me, even if from afar.
LikeLike
Very interesting article. Your treasures are very much like my own but I have not been to so many far away places.
LikeLike
There’s always tomorrow. 🙂 Take advantage of that and go somewhere you’ve never been, even if its down a street you’ve never been.
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
That’s the best way to go about things, I think. A rock with a story behind it holds way more value than an expensive, impersonal trinket from a tourist-trap shop. Then again, they won’t let you get away with picking up rocks and corals in some places. I hope your collection keeps growing!
LikeLike
Sometimes, you have to operate on the sly! 😉 I actually found out after the fact that you’re not supposed to pick up the coral on Huahine. Ooops. Even still, its one of my favorite memories and I don’t think I could have left it behind even I if was aware of the rules!
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
A lovely post. I encourage my children to do the same thing on our travels. I like to bring stones home, and write the location and year on the back for when my memory fails me, which it will!
LikeLike
I love that you’re teaching your children to keep the tradition going. 🙂 Not only will they have memories of the places they’ve been, but anything they pick up will hold wonderful memories of you.
Thanks for sharing your story. 🙂
LikeLike
Great souvenirs! I’ll think about it on my next travel. Hope my friends do the same 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Give it a try . . . most first timers are surprised at how powerful a little rock can be!
LikeLike
I wish to travel a lot too! 🙂 Nice post ! Keep on travelling.
LikeLike
One day, you will! Keep believing that and the world is an open door. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
Something touched a deep chord for me in this wonderful post. It brought to my mind that the simplest things are the best and carry the real poetry that stays with us for a lifetime. When someone in my family went to Europe in 1996 I asked her to please bring me back a small stone from each country she visited–Ireland, Germany, England, Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Morocco, and the Czech Republic. She was having so much fun she only remembered to bring me four stones. And while it’s true my memories can never be hers, at least I have a few free souvenirs from places I wish I could go, places I can carry in my imagination. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
LikeLike
Thank you for the congrats and the kind words. It’s very much appreciated! 🙂
I love your story . . . sometimes souvenirs from places we haven’t been can be our “dream stones.” Your stones are all about keeping the dream alive. I have a small jar of sand from Egypt so I never lose hope that I will one day set foot on the Giza Plateau, just as I’ve always imagined.
Thanks for reading and sharing your story. 🙂
LikeLike
really admirable…your post reminded me of the good old days when i was kid and we used 2 collect all little things as though they were treasures,despite the fact that they might not be of any significance….Your habit of taking back leaves reminds me of my habit of taking back maple leaves and keeping red roses in my diary….You took me back to lot of memories..thanks 🙂
LikeLike
It sounds like you have a lot of lovely memories. 🙂
You reminded me of some pressed flowers I haven’t thought of in years. I’m going to go through some of my books tonight to see if I can find them!
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
What a cool post!
I also remember picking up beautiful goldenly-orange leaves from the streets in London.
People looked at me like I was mad 🙂
But you really bring back a true sense of the place when you pick up stuff like this 🙂
LikeLike
In Ireland, I got some pretty strange looks when I picked up my seashore rocks. 😉
I’ve never seen London in the Fall, but you’ve given me a wonderful visual. Those golden leaves must be a marvelous sight!
Thanks for sharing your story.
LikeLike
Me so envy youuu!
I really wish that I could collect memorable souvenirs like yours!
Great article!
🙂
LikeLike
You can! Sometimes souvenirs are right out your front door. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
This is beautiful and I love your stones. I too collect random pebbles and shells from places that I visit, its so true that these mini keepsakes bring back far more vivid memories than another cheap souvenirs. I have a vintage frame that i keep a bunch of beautiful sea rocks and broken tiles on from a holiday in Portugal. I have been meaning take a pic of it, think you would totally appreciate 🙂
Tammy
http://iamsentimentalme.wordpress.com/
LikeLike
I checked out your blog earlier today and really enjoyed your posts! I love the idea of using a vintage frame as a way to display your sea rocks. From what I’ve seen on your site, I’ll be its absolutely amazing. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
love this – I do the same things – seriously – and I’m big at collecting rocks from different places – like I took a bit of their home with me 🙂
-grace
LikeLike
There seem to be a lot of us roaming the earth. 😉
Thanks for your comment.
LikeLike
Hey, I live just around the corner from Waterville. It’s a serene corner of the world, alright. And it’s raining today. Again. Lovely post.
LikeLike
You live in such a beautiful place! Lucky you. 🙂 (Doesn’t it always rain . . . Lol.)
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
Interesting use of souvenirs.
LikeLike
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
Yes indeed 😀 The Best Souvenirs Are Free 🙂 Nice post !!
LikeLike
Thanks! 🙂 I appreciate the comment.
LikeLike
oh my gosh! so cute! love the little shells! 🙂
LikeLike
I have some bigger shells, but I’ve always been rather partial to those little purple ones. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
I love this so much! My holiday in Scarborough begins tomorrow so I shall be sure to take a walk on the beach and have a look for a beauty of a pebble that will remind me of my time there.
It’s so refreshing to hear blog posts like this…inspirational! Thank you!
LikeLike
Thank you for such kind words. 🙂
Enjoy that beach and definitely pick up a little piece to take home!
LikeLike
Congratulations on your post. I simply loved the way you chose to showcase your travel memories, with unusual souvenirs, filled with tons of meaning – people tend to really forget what’s important when you’re away, and an overseas experience just takes us to that next level. Thanks for sharing your impressions and for, so perfectly, describing how places were important to you. Maybe one day, I will ask for permission to “steal your idea” for sharing my travel memories, using “heart souvenirs”… :o) way to go!
Thanks for making my morning much brighter and much lighter! Definitely a must-be freshly pressed post… :o)
LikeLike
Steal away! I look forward to reading your post. 🙂
Thank you so much for the kind words . . . they made my day.
LikeLike
Beautiful post! I agree with you!!
The best souvenir I collected when I was in London, on holiday, was probably the Tube Map!! What could remind you of weeks of travelling inside London than a battered tube map, right?! 🙂
I am sure that a miniature Big Ben would never succeed in taking me back to all the good times spent in London, as effectively as a tube map would!
Ashwini
LikeLike
I’ve been known to bring home a tube map or two! 😉 It really is a wonderful way to remember London.
Thanks so much for reading!
LikeLike
My most precious souvenir is the piece of church stone that I have from visiting my grandfather’s birth town in Italy. The church was closed, but magnificent on top of a mountain. That piece of stone represents to me the many things about my grandfather’s journey to America at 16 and becoming a stone mason. Life really is about the little things, like a stone!
LikeLike
Oh, wow. That is a really beautiful story. What a special stone you keep! 🙂
Thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
“There’s nothing quite as terrifying or liberating as looking out to the open sea and realizing there is nothing to catch me.”
this has to be my favorite line and This is definitely the best blog I have read so far.
You expressed with such simplicity and earnestness that you took me along into your memories, into your childhood. The rainy cold beach of Ireland, The calm of the Wisconsin woods and the sunny brightness of south Carolina will stay with me in my imagination. Thank you for writing so wonderfully.
LikeLike
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. 🙂 Writing is a passion of mine and its amazing to know the words I’m finding are resonating with readers.
LikeLike
Same here! Rocks in my pockets…..I love your display on the postcard, very soothing also.
LikeLike
It’s a piece of scrapbook paper – I’ve always liked it and thought it would look nice with my treasures. 🙂
Keep picking up those rocks! Thanks for reading. 🙂
LikeLike
“The best memories come from experiences and the epiphanies that follow. ” – strongly agreed!
I collected sea-shell and pebbles, leaves when I travelled but given away when I move to new location, still left some of the pebbles with me :p
LikeLike
Hopefully, the memories never leave you even if the stones have moved one. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
these souvenirs are priceless.
LikeLike
Indeed, they are. 🙂
LikeLike
congrats congrats congrats on the FP’d!! so deserved 😀
LikeLike
Thank you! I’m so floored by the whole thing! 🙂
LikeLike
When I was a kid, my parents would buy me a pennant everywhere we went on vacations. The crazy things were lining my bedroom walls. Every cave visited, theme park experience, or town with anything in it, had a pennant.
I would lie in bed, look at the wall, and think of all the places I had been, but also all the things I still had left to see.
LikeLike
What a fun way to remember all the places you’ve been and to dream of where to go next. 🙂
Thanks for sharing for story.
LikeLike
I always try to collect little things like this as well; there’s something more magical about a find rather than a purchase. Great post!
LikeLike
Thanks! 🙂
Yes! There is something magical about the whole process! It’s like a stone has been waiting for you all along.
LikeLike
This is a very nice post. Thank you.
LikeLike
Thanks for your very nice comment. 🙂
LikeLike
You are an amazing writer! We travel a lot and our 8 year old daughter has travelled with us since she was 8 months old. I had her read your blog as we have always taught her that the best memories are not found in cluttered junk bought on beaches and at markets (although it may seem like a “cool” item in the moment) but rather in the experiences and treasures that cannot be bought for any money. I have collected very small samples of sand from every beach I’ve ever been to and have them layered in a vase (well several now). Each layer holds a memory for us and our daughter has started her priceless collection with a maple leaf we picked up off the street outside her uncle’s house in Toronto. Thank you so much for sharing your writing!
LikeLike
Thank for sharing such a nice story – you’re vase sounds so lovely with layer after layer of priceless memories. 🙂
How nice that your daughter has embraced the tradition you have so lovingly passed on to her. 🙂
Thanks so much for reading! Your kind words made my day.
LikeLike
One of my favourite ‘souvenirs’ of my travels is a fragment of a tile that I found in a desert ruin in Iran – hundreds of years ago, this little piece of blue ceramic graced the wall of a beautiful mosque. There’s something special about finding things, little objects that might not look particularly exciting but have their own stories to tell.
LikeLike
Oh, wow! Your souvenir makes me think of that old adage, “If walls could talk . . .” I wonder what your tile would say. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your story.
LikeLike
I Had the same Experience!!
Only that I lost all of my Sovereigns…-__-
But Keep Getting more as U Go on!!
LikeLike
Oh no! I’ve lost a few along the way, too. If anything, that gives me an excuse to return to where I gathered them at some point. 🙂
LikeLike
This is so cool 🙂 Really! I always pick up little souvinors, but I don’t remember where they’re from the way that you do. Very, very cool.
LikeLike
Sometimes the memories going somewhere are enough, even if you can’t remember the details. Adventure is just as much a feeling as it is a story. 🙂
LikeLike
Free souvenirs are the very type of memento from a trip, as they are more personal than any store bought item. Items like the ones you mentioned in this post hold special memories for you, and nobody else in the world has a souvenir exactly like them! Great post.
LikeLike
You bring up such a great point. The cookie cutter feel of souvenir stores is what keeps me away from them. I don’t want something thousands of other people have! There’s something special about having a one-of-a-kind object from a place that holds meaning to me as traveler.
Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
LikeLike
What a gorgeous post. I love your photo of all your collectables too. Treasure the memories.
LikeLike
Thank you! I treasure them every day as I walk past the shelf where they are housed. 🙂
LikeLike
I have a piece of the ancient Roman wall that fell at my feet as I walked to lunch near my hotel in Rome. It means more to me than most of the things I paid good money for. I know exactly what you mean.
LikeLike
What a cool souvenir! 🙂 I’ll bet it was just waiting for you to find it.
Thanks so much for sharing your story.
LikeLike
Your travel post was really good, I just came back from Prague and I loved it there. Nice to hear that someone felt the same way as I did. It was such a beautiful place, I never wanted to leave.
LikeLike
I love how that city is being rediscovered by the West. It’s far too beautiful to stay a secret. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
Really extraordinary!
A travel journal pales — although you may well have a journal to augment and texture these personal souvenirs.
Souvenir — to remember —
And you do, you do.
LikeLike
My journals are the second half to documenting my travels. No matter how long the day was or how late I have to stay up, I won’t rest until I write about my experiences. I know when I get home all the effort will be worth it, because the memories are preserved by my own hand. 🙂 The souvenirs are a bonus!
LikeLike
Great piece! I love to travel, and I’ve brought back a whole variety of things, from local stamps and newspapers and even sales receipts! They mean so much more than the usual store-bought souvenir. Congrats on being FP!
LikeLike
Thanks for the congrats! 🙂
Newspapers and sales receipts are also favorites of mine to bring home. Even though they aren’t free, they are so cheap it seems like a steal. I brought three newspapers home from England because they are a wonderful way to remember the atmosphere of culture and daily life when I was there. 🙂
LikeLike
love the souvenirs! keep traveling and writing! :))
LikeLike
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Who knows where I’ll end up next summer, but I know for sure it will be missing a stone when I head home.
LikeLike
For me the best souvenirs are always rocks…stones, stones, stones!.
LikeLike
Nice! 🙂
Thanks for reading.
LikeLike
The title of your post grabbed me immediately. It is so true…our daughters have a collection of ‘found’ treasures from our travels and whilst they may not mean much to anyone else, to my daughters, they vividly re-live the wonderful times we spent whilst away. Magic.
LikeLike
It is magic! Ordinary objects really can do amazing things when people choose to believe in the power of memory. How wonderful that your daughters have such a collection. 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Nature makes some of the most beautiful souvenirs and gifts, to be sure! Your stories accompanying each item were a treat. Thank you.
LikeLike
Thank you for your lovely comment.
I’ve been known to bring a rock or two home for friends and family. 😉
LikeLike
Wow! Very nice indeed. Perfect concept of “It’s the thought that counts.” 🙂
LikeLike
Absolutely! 🙂
Thanks so much for reading!
LikeLike
No biggie. I’ll be looking forward for more from you 🙂
LikeLike
Thats sweet and indeed a better collection of souvenirs! We buy fridge magnets, easy to display but I wonder what would happen if I travel to place where I may not find them (say villages in India, my home country). My Dad picks up rocks and shells whenever we visited places, so yes they are free and unique way to remember places one visits.
LikeLike
It’s amazing what you find when you just look down. Even in villages and cities, there is always something on the ground that is unique and will tie you the place where you stand. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
I like this post. I agree with it fully. I enjoy taking photos and sketching by a wonderful sight when abroad as a unique souvenir of the place! I still do drop by the tourist shops but usually to collect a memorabilia to complement photos, writings and memories. This is a meaningful post – sophisticated and un-materialistic travelling! Great!
LikeLike
Thanks! 🙂
I admire those who can sketch what they see. There’s nothing more personal the capturing a place through your own perspective. It’s something I wish I could do, but stones will just have to do instead!
Thanks so much for reading.
LikeLike
Thank you for that idea. I will be travelling to Bohol in the Philippines next month and your post got me more excited. I will do what you did. Thanks!
LikeLike
That sounds like an exciting trip! 🙂 I’m sure you will come home with many lovely memories and stones to match.
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
Nice post, please do post more such posts!
LikeLike
I’m working on it. 🙂
LikeLike