I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I LOVE to travel. I love exploring new places, spending time with friends and family who live far away, and just plain getting away from the ordinary day-to-day stuff. I like remembering the places we’ve been with souvenirs, but as much as I love souvenirs, I also hate them.

My first recollection of purchasing souvenirs was when we went on a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park (one of my favorite places on earth!). I was 8 years old and with the help of my mother, picked up a jewelry box, coin purse and pennant all emblazoned with the image of Old Faithful. That vacation started a long tradition of purchasing souvenirs that now clutter my house. And it’s not just souvenirs I’ve purchased, but souvenirs my parents and grandparents brought back from their travels.

When I finally realized this needed to stop, I migrated to purchasing and requesting T-shirts. This is a better solution than storing or dusting less practical souvenirs, but they eventually wear out so the entire purpose of a souvenir is lost.

The perfect solution appeared as I was perusing the gift shop at Mt. Rushmore and came across a Christmas ornament depicting the famous monument. It hit me that Christmas ornaments are the perfect souvenir! You take them out once a year, relive fond memories as you place them on the tree and then store them away neatly with the other ornaments a few weeks later. Perfect!

Since that epiphany, I’ve purchased ornaments on our trips to Disneyland, Seattle, Seaside, the Oregon Caves, the Grand Canyon and most recently Cape Disappointment. They don’t take up much space in the suitcase, which is a plus, and they don’t clutter my house. They are the perfect souvenir and sparkling reminders of the fun places we’ve enjoyed visiting.

My souvenir *finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert             

What’s your souvenir finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)