Souvenirs! They sure are fun to buy for ourselves and those that await our arrival back home. It was after my trip to Kansas that gave me a whole new insight about souvenirs. This time I had second thoughts about souvenirs when no one was excited about them.

Souvenirs, Are They Tokens or Gifts?

I bought T shirts at Moon Marble because the shop was fun and artsy. No one seemed to appreciate the T shirts in the way I wanted and then it dawned on me. It was my memory not theirs. They were not able to visualize the demonstration of making a marble, the artists there they represented and the games they kept in stock from my childhood. Perhaps I bought those souvenirs as tokens because I felt guilty about leaving them behind or I wanted to keep those memories alive because I enjoyed the state so much.

How I Built Family Time From My Trip

Later that evening we sat down to watch a movie. Our traditional movie popcorn was prepared but this time I did something different. I sprinkled some spice over the top that I purchased from Spicen. Their reactions to such a simple addition was surprising. My family now considers pop corn with spice on top as our new tradition for our movie nights.

The spice on the popcorn also served as a conversation starter. They started asking questions about certain places I visited and my stories and experiences were a fun part of the evening. That spice sprinkled over popcorn was a magical ingredient. The magic still continues to happen in my kitchen today. Tofu marinating in Stockyard Apple Barbeque Rub tantalizes our taste buds with memories that arise from the fun trip to Spicen, Kansas and the awesome people I met there. Kansas is now a state that we want to visit together as a family.

Souvenirs are still fun but I won’t be relying alone on trinkets to share my trips with my family. I will surely bring back the characteristics of the city through their culture, foods and history. And isn’t that what trips are all about anyway? To expand our knowledge, learn new ways of doing things, taste different foods and learn how to cook them?

Bringing those experiences back home with photos, recipes and fun stories as souvenirs can turn into fun moments while creating memories for those that did not travel with us.