Souvenirs

18-09-23 00 / episode: 245

Script

"Souvenirs.

Let's talk about souvenirs today.

Although really, I want to talk about traveling in the wider sense when I started thinking about souvenirs, I thought I get souvenirs when I go traveling.

Ok.

So this is really kind of about traveling.

Ok.

Now a souvenir is something that you buy.

So that after you're done traveling and you go home, you can remember that beautiful, wonderful trip.

Ok.

That's what souvenir means.

It comes from French, meaning I remember.

So when you see that thing, whether it be um, a photograph or a bag or a keychain, you see that thing and it reminds you about your wonderful trip to, well, wherever it was that you went, now, I sort of became sensitive to traveling when I was living in Africa.

And I thought gee we're tromping around and we're doing all sorts of things that may not be good for the country or the people or the planet.

And then I found this nice little quote.

It said, uh take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.

So what they're saying is a lot of people would go and like take plants or rocks or maybe even fossils that they found in the place.

And of course, if everybody took something away, eventually, a lot of it would be missing and it wouldn't be nice for the next people to come along.

There's no preservation.

The other was they would leave their garbage, they'd eat something and throw the garbage by the trail.

Ok.

Or in the street.

So, don't do that leave nothing but footprints.

So wherever you step, you leave a footprint and if that's the biggest thing you leave, that's probably good.

So, in fact, I took it even further.

I try not to uh take photographs.

I try and remember the my trip as best I can and I revisit my memories to make them sharper and clearer.

That helps my memory after all.

Who wants to take a trip and forget about it? Right? I'm not on the trip for that moment.

I wanna remember that trip.

So I have my memories anyway.

As a result, I don't buy many souvenirs, but souvenirs are a nice thing to bring back for other people.

If you're in the gift giving mode.

So go and get some thoughtful souvenirs that hopefully don't harm the planet.

Take care and have fun traveling."