Souvenirs are a wonderful way to remember past vacations and also the fun you had finding that souvenir. Sometimes finding that perfect memento becomes part of your vacation adventure and sometimes you might just happen upon the perfect thing accidentally. I have noticed there tends to be a few different types of souvenir shoppers. Which one are you?
#1 – The collector. If you have a specific item you like to bring back from every vacation then you are a collector. Your shopping is a little easier because you know what you are looking already. Although I guess sometimes being a collector can get tricky if you just cannot seem to find the item you collect at your destination. Collections can be a good way to easily look back at all the many places you have traveled but does it become more about the collection than the memories of the places you went?
#2 – The tacky tourist. Sorry to say it but if you love those cheap souvenir shops where everything sold in that store is plastered with the name of the city or country everywhere then you are tacky. Sure the cheap junk makes it easy to bring back lots of stuff but does any of that really have meaning and will it make you remember anything from your vacation? Will the people you bring it back for even keep it for long? All that being said I will admit I still go on those stores too.
#3 – The it has to be authentic shopper. If you only want to bring back authentic, locally made, responsibly sourced items you are this type. You do your research before your trip to find out what your destination is most known for and you plan to track that down. While I do think these type of souvenirs have the most meaning they do also take a bit more work to find and they will cost you more. I do try to be this type of shopper but I am not set on only buying this type of stuff.
When in Camargue, France last year I loved that the Camargue Cross was very similar to my logo. While we were shopping that day we came across a shop selling porcelain art, including some in the shape of the Camargue Cross. The shop owner explained the meaning of the symbol – the anchor means hope, the heart means charity, and the cross means faith. She also explained that a local artist makes all the porcelain right in town and mentioned a little on the history of French porcelain. I hadn’t sought out to buy something porcelain in France because it is authentic to the region but was glad I ended up with something very local. It is hanging in my office and it a great reminder of a really fun trip.
#4 – The I will know it when I see it shopper. If you tend to just happen upon something while traveling that you just think oh that is it, then you are this type. Your souvenirs might seem totally random to anyone else but to you they have meaning. I tend to be this type of shopper and sometimes it stinks when you just don’t find anything that really speaks to you. I really want to find something I love and will remind me of the vacation even if it might not totally be something that has any connection to the area.
I have this keychain I bought on my first visit to Holland. We were shopping in a little local shop and they had one of those displays with keychains that have names. All the names were Dutch so it wasn’t like I was looking for one but for some reason one just popped out at me. It seemed kind of silly to buy a keychain with a girl’s name that wasn’t mine or even in my language but it spoke to me so I bought it. After we came out of that store a group of school age girls came up to us asking if we spoke English. When we said yes they asked if we could help them with a school assignment to practice English. We of course were happy to take part. 5 years later I still have that keychain on my keys and it always reminds me of the group of girls we helped with their English.
If you think you might be all of the above and just really love shopping of any kind let me know and I might be able to suggest some shopping tours for your next vacation.
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