Books!!

It occurs to me that I must have a strange idea of what constitutes the perfect souvenir for each journey I take. Some will get lost in gift shops finding a cute little decoration of some kind, a vase, a cute figurine, or even an ornament. For some they'll pick up a sticker to put on the car or in a journal. The list of what people bring home for travel mementos is endless. I'll admit I've been in the habit of looking for magnets for each city I visit. I love looking at my fridge and recalling all the places I"ve been. I've also taken to getting a pretty Christmas ornament to put on my tree as a reminder of where I've been.

My favorite habit though is one that most don't do. I also hunt out a book shop to visit on my trips. In Ireland, I brought home four magnets and five books. Seattle, two magazines and four books. Montana two books. You get the picture. It's fun for me to read my books and remember where I got them. Heck the books I purchased in Ireland even have the euro price stickers on them. It's just fun for me.

Perhaps it is a little odd, but for a book lover like me, I love the memories tied to my books. In some cases, the books are set in the locations where I was on my trip. I love reading the books I picked up in Ireland as they are all set in England, Scottland, or Ireland. I get to read the ones set in Ireland and smile as the characters move through places I've been. It is just such a fun habit for me.

I'd guess my favorite part of having books as souvenirs is that not only do I take an actual journey but I get to travel again through the authors imagination between the covers of a book.