My last ‘filing drawer’ (a re-sealable plastic bag in the inside pocket of the Samsonite, I remind you) contains all those little bits and pieces of travel paraphernalia that are not so easily categorized. There are concert tickets stubs from shows we loved: Marisa Monte in Buenos Aires, The Strokes in Amsterdam, Death Cab for Cutie in Brussels…, opera tickets from memorable nights (Prague, Budapest, and Milan), tickets from museums or art exhibitions that impressed or inspired us (only from the most outstanding), and restaurant receipts and business cards (from the most enjoyable and most memorable meals; the rest are stapled in our research notebooks). Why do I treasure them so much? Because like the flight ticket stubs and hotel room keys, they serve as reminders of our most special experiences, because our memories are faulty no matter how good we think they can be, and because together these little bits and pieces comprise a bigger story. To me, they’re worth the excess luggage fees.
Collecting #3: miscellaneous travel paraphernalia (or, the equivalent of the bottom drawer, the back of the cupboard, or the shoebox under the bed)
February 22, 2008
by Lara Dunston
Categories: Uncategorized
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MEET LARA DUNSTON
A perpetual globetrotter and travel writer who has experienced over 60 countries, authored 40+ guidebooks, and published 100s of articles for National Geographic Traveler, Wanderlust, Paperplane, Get Lost, Lifestyle+Travel, Voyageur,
Hemispheres, The Independent, Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Insight, Thomas Cook, AA Guides, Fodors, USA Today, and more.
This blog is about the things that are cool (and not so cool) about travel, that inspire us to travel, and that are inspiring about the places we visit. It's a space for me to reflect upon my work as a travel writer, the travel media, travel publishing, and travel industry. Read more here.
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2 comments
Fliss and Mike Adventures says:
March 18, 2008 at 1:51 AM (UTC 10 )
I love getting my little bits of ‘travel’ papers from here and there…
Lara Dunston says:
March 30, 2008 at 7:24 PM (UTC 10 )
So do I, as you can see! (Fliss, I’m sorry I missed this one). A friend displays them in a wonderful way, on these tiny shelves, almost like a shrine. Each has its own little space, giving it importance, allowing the person looking at it to consider each individual memento and what they represent. It’s wonderful! I’ll have to ask her if I can take a photo next time I’m back in Dubai and write a blog about it.