We all bring something home from our travels – photos, keepsakes, maybe a bottle of the local liquor tucked into our suitcase. For me, there’s one small memento I always make sure to bring back. It’s simple, meaningful, and rooted in a tradition my mom began years ago. What started as a small habit has become my most cherished souvenir – one that carries both memory and legacy.
The Souvenir Search
I started many souvenir collections when I was younger. Thimbles were one of the first, but I lost interest after just a handful and turned my attention to lapel pins instead. That collection fared a bit better. I still have them somewhere, tucked away in a trinket box since the day each trip ended. And that was the trouble – I never found a way to properly display them. At least not to my liking. So my search for that just-right travel souvenir continued until I realized it was right in front of me all along…
Growing up, the only souvenir my mom made sure to purchase on our family trips was a magnet of the destination. She’d place it on the refrigerator door when we returned home and eventually it became a little game to spot where she’d nestle it among the others. There they were – front and center in our daily lives. A colorful collection of the journeys we took together. Eventually I caught on and began my own magnet collection as I started to stretch my wings and travel more on my own. It was the perfect souvenir.
Practically speaking, magnets are hard to beat – small, inexpensive, and easy to find or even make when you venture off the beaten path. I’ve often attached a magnet to other small trinkets – coins or patches – when nothing else could be found. In my own little evolution of the practice, I also started writing the year(s) of the visit(s) on the back before giving each one its place on my fridge.
It’s become a curated collection. I try to pick a something that’s unique (ideally handmade), modest in size (because their number happily keeps growing), and reflective of something meaningful from the trip. Maybe it was a place where I met a fellow traveler or local and shared an unexpected detour, a site that moved me, or something I was especially excited to see. It can take time to find just the right one, but that’s part of the adventure and reflection. It’s simple, but intentional and it’s the only thing I need to buy on a trip.
Back home, these magnets are an ever-present reminder of my travels – the people I’ve met, the unique experiences I’ve had, and the discoveries I’ve made both within and around me. Each one is a chapter in my story and something I can look at daily with gratitude for the opportunities I’ve had to explore, for the woman I’ve become because of them, and for the promise of new trips ahead.
A Quiet Tribute
And it’s part of a legacy, too – one passed down from my mom. A gift I’m thankful to have recognized and embraced. More than a souvenir, each one reflects the spirit she lived with and encouraged within me: a sense of adventure and the courage and curiosity to explore. Every magnet is, in its own quiet way, a tribute to her and a reminder to keep living fully and pursuing my dreams – just as she showed and taught me. Thanks, Mom.
What Do You Bring Home?
It’s beautiful how something so small can hold so much. A moment. A magnet. A memory. Do you have something you search out and collect on your travels? Send me a note; I’d love to hear about it and the story underneath.
