I just returned from vacation visiting some of the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. It was a jam packed vacation, as many of ours are, with lots of exploring, driving, and activities. As I unpacked my luggage practically straight into the washing machine I was reminded that during vacation I didn’t buy any souvenirs.
For those who have recently followed my blog you know I have been letting go of things. It has been a process I have practiced for years, and I continue to release more and more each year. In addition to relinquishing objects, I no longer feel the need to collect. I used to come home from vacation with the obligatory t-shirt, hat and a few other trinkets. Those objects stood as reminders of each vacation. I am not against buying any of those things; I just find that I no longer have the interest unless it is something that really catches my attention.
Instead I find my memories become my souvenirs. To lay it out there, my memory is not as good as it once was. My husband teases me and my best friend that between the two of us we can weave together a memory. But with the help of a few photos and definitely my mind (contrary to my husband’s belief I do have a pretty decent memory), I find that the memories are all I need to trigger the thoughts and feelings I experienced while away.
So my closet has no additions of a Nova Scotia t-shirt and the shelf doesn’t hold a little lighthouse trinket from Prince Edward Island, but I do have a full bag of memories.
Some of my favorites include:
- A laughing attack with husband Stephen and my friend Liz on our first morning after feeling we faced the tundra of the air conditioner
- Watching an Eagle sit on the top branch of a tree
- Playing on the swings in the playground in Lunenburg
- Sitting in the peacefulness of Blue Rocks
- Seeing a moose pass in our path through the mist of the clouds
- Walking the sea floor of the Bay of Fundy during low tide
- Stephen climbing into the mouth of a whale in the local playground
- Hugs and laughing with my friend Rita
- Feeling a sense of community as my friends held a BBQ with others I had met earlier in the year on a yoga retreat
The list could go on and in my mind it does, without taking up any physical space. As I continue to explore new places, experiences and people I collect the memories of them as souvenirs. Each of which I will treasure for a lifetime and have with me no matter where I go.
What happy memory of a vacation have you brought home as a souvenir?