Perhaps it all started when I had the opportunity to become a backpacker traveling in Europe. Since we were traveling like city hopping from day to day, I plan to make sure I am hands free from dragging my luggage through the often stony (lumpy) European city center in reaching the hostel. I remembered the first few trips that lasted for ten to fifteen days or so and that I only had a slightly bigger school size backpack with me. The bag was literally stuffed every inch with necessities: one set of changing clothing a set of thin comfortable sport ware as PJs , 2 pairs of socks, travel size personal hygiene products, a digital camera (+charger) and that was it!
Luckily it was winter and while I spent most of the day time exploring the city and wilderness, the only outfit that shown on my pictures was my puffy feather coat. From the pictures taken, not much people would came to acknowledge that I only had one other changing sweater with me for the entire trip. Don't get me wrong though, I stay clean and comfortable the entire trip as the cold temperature kept me sweat-free, and I wash my socks in the youth hostel daily.All that being said, my point is, I had no extra space in my backpack for most souvenir. In addition, my weak shoulder gives me pitching pain with the minimum necessities I carry. So, a little magnet perhaps, but definitely not a mug with city icon or anything delicate. A post card perhaps, but definitely not a painting or notebook. Anything that requires space or thing that adds weight made me think twice, triple and many more times. I often wander though the shops and end up standing in front of something I adored very very much for a really really long time, carefully examining and loving every detail of it, yet at the same time trying to find fault of it and talk myself out of wanting it so badly. It's sad, really sad.
Years later, my resistance built stronger and stronger. There are much lesser things that I feel I really want to have and take home. Thus the moments for which I encounter the question, to buy or not to buy, decreased. One thing though, when the moments come, I find it even harder to make peace with the struggle. Another differences is perhaps that as I grew older and start earning a bit of money and save as much as I could to support my desire to travel. I was also able to have a few dollars more to spare and buy something that I really like.
Luckily, a few more years later, I no longer have to insist in being a backpacker and switched taking a carry-on size luggage with me to travel. It is then that I feel I was able to take a few additional things home with me. But seemingly, the feeling of wanting something decreased significantly.
-- My sister's trophy from Pairs --
Reflecting my changes and the real reason behind wanting to buy a souvenir, what I really want is to have something that reminds me of the wonderful memories I have from the places I visited and from the people I met. As I travel alone or with new friends I met, each collecting piece is a key to a memorable story, which I wish to share with my friends and family, who didn't have the chance to travel with me.
Still, I would say that the best way I find so far to ease the desire to keep an actual thing is taking pictures. Through the images, I hope they can see the view I adore and the scene that just took my breath away. I hope I can make them feel my excitement and fondness for the place that touches me so deeply.
In all, I believe the best moments actually requires no pictures nor souvenirs to remember by, because the moment had already deeply imprinted in your heart.
沒有留言:
張貼留言