i just returned home from a week-long trip near new orleans. it became significant because it was our first trip away since intentionally deciding to become minimalist. although i wasn’t thinking about the blog, the last day of the trip we were in the city near the flea market when i just happened upon another benefit of minimalism – easier souvenir shopping. and i immediately knew, it had to make my list.
of our vacation traditions, we always included a day in the local marketplace/flea market/souvenir shops hoping to find just the right souvenir to take home with us. despite the many hours that we spent looking, many of our souvenirs ended up in the basement in a box with all the other souvenirs that seemed to be a good purchase at the time – colored blankets, knick-knacks, chess sets, postcards, cups, etc. and with each passing vacation/souvenir, the pressure to find a good souvenir that would survive the trip home and the test of time would mount. simply, i was tired of spending money on things just to put them in a box.
this past saturday in new orleans, we went to the market because we had others along with us who wanted some souvenirs from the trip. as we floated from shop to shop deciding which items to buy for their home/life, i felt no pressure. none. i had no desire to buy anything for my home – we are living a different life now. because i knew that i wasn’t going to buy anything, i was free to enjoy the walk taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells while our companions felt all the pressure to find “just the right souvenir.” another benefit of minimalism - easier souvenir shopping.
remind me never to go back to that previous lifestyle.
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While backpacking through Europe on our honeymoon, we accidently started a wonderful habit for limiting souvenir junk. We found that refrigerator magnets were small and meaningful memorabilia. I know many people don’t like the visual mess of refrigerator magnets, but one friend of mine keeps all of his on the downstairs freezer. In a relatively small surface, we can smile and remember many fabulous trips.
I was recently traveling in LA and going through many crazy outdoor markets. They weren’t really geared towards tourists, but nevertheless, the idea of buying something just to have “from my seems like such a painful burden to carry around!
It truly is more just walking through these areas and absorbing the experience; the smell in the air, the languages around you, the odd items for sale, the funny sales men, the shoppers, locals, and tourists. This is what I want to “keep”.
I’ve discovered that a great and inexpensive souvenir is a picture postcard or two. The picture is probably better than you can take with your own camera, and you can write on the whole back of it what you did that day, what you thought of the experience, etc.
I agree with Jodi; a picture postcard is the way to go! After college, I lived in England for six months and traveled extensively throughout the U.K. and Ireland during those six months. I realized that if I bought a souvenir at each place, I’d have to rent a barge to ship them all back to the States! A postcard, for me, is a great visual reminder of my trip and it’s small enough to carry without trouble.
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