I hope you enjoy this week’s Gnomecast! It’s all about souvenir do’s and don’ts. Nothing causes more regret than the souvenir we didn’t buy. I speak from personal experience. I’m thinking specifically about a poppy tea cup and saucer that was unique to the International War Museum in London and a pop-up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book that was at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, beautifully illustrated, and I have yet to find it again. These are my biggest regrets. The struggle is real when you travel, so save enough space in your suitcase for that special souvenir. I’ve come up with a few basic rules when shopping while traveling.
1. Make sure it’s something special and unique to the area you are traveling. For example, I knew I wanted a carnival mask from Venice. Avoid the tourist shops with cheap, impersonal souvenirs.
2. Pack an extra duffle at the bottom of your suitcase for an extra bag to check with souvenirs.
3. Spend money on things that will have meaning. I like to buy a piece of jewelry or a piece of street art. Don’t waste it on junk.
4. Think of the little thing that can easily be brought home.
5. Worse comes to worse, you can always ship home! I ended up having a model of the globe theater shipped home from England for my Christmas village.
Buen viajes, gnomes! And happy shopping!