Souvenir buying: less is more

From my Egypt trip I have three souvenirs (not including gifts for people). I have a silver and turquoise scarab pendant, a small handmade alabaster scarab ornament, and a small papyrus painting of Hathor the Goddess of love, beauty, and motherhood. I like to buy things that remind me of my trip but I’m of the thinking that less is more. Just a few things chosen very carefully is more meaningful than a bunch of stuff that’s bought on spur of the moment.

This is something I tried very hard to convince Sis of. Every time someone buys something, she wants the same. Sometimes when no one wants something, she wants it as well. I think she was a little cross with me arguing against buying everything. I told her that maybe she should choose just a few good things instead of getting everything. She ended up with two packs of postcards, two books, a pair of earrings, papyrus painting, a t-shirt with her name in hieroglyphics, and a carpet. Things she didn’t buy: a $300USD alabaster bowl, Egyptian cotton bed set, more jewelry with the symbols for key of life, the scarab, and the lotus flower, more books, more postcards, scarves, and a bigger papyrus painting.

I know it sounds bossy of me. But when we use to live together, and when I visit her now I just find things that she bought on other trips forgotten in drawers or in the Salvation Army donation piles. I just want her to really care about what she bought and enjoy them.

I’m really proud of her this time. I actually didn’t think I would be able to get through to her. Previous experience told me that I would fail and end up carry some of her things home. But she actually listened this time. I still carried her books, postcards, and carpet home. But that was only because she over packed.