I got home yesterday after a long day of running errands and couldn’t help but smile. I’d unloaded bags from a dozen stops where I managed to get almost everything on a long to-do list. As I was putting things away, I looked around realizing I am surrounded by things that bring me joy.
On the dining room table is an adorable little lizard who holds a bottle of wine during dinner. That little guy makes me smile everytime I see him. Next to him is a lazy Susan hand painted by an Iowa artist that I found on a vacation to Oregon. It’s not only the perfect addition to my table, but a useful and fun souvenir.
As I took a couple of things back to the guest room, where we are gathering the items we plan to take on an upcoming trip, I spotted a funky, round lamp in the corner. I found that lamp online years ago and it still makes me smile.
There are souvenirs from trips that get used during dinner parties, decorate the walls and pull double duty as reminders of fun adventures and inspiration to take another trip somewhere.
All these little things make me smile, whether they were discovered on the other side of the world or spotted on a store shelf during a day of shopping. I’m reminded of Pink’s song “A Million Dreams” …
“There’s a house we can build,
Every room inside is filled with things from far away,
Special things I compile,
Each one there to make you smile on a rainy day.”
Of course, there are photos and postcards and trinkets, but the little finds that I reach for to use every now and then are almost daily reminders of how grateful I am to have the ability to travel and experience far-away lands and cultures.
There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. Pick up a thing or two that will remind you of the joy of travel.
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