Thanksgiving Travel

I've never been a huge fan of traveling, especially flying, for Thanksgiving - I haven't been home to my parents' for the holiday since 2008 and, other than a trip one year to visit my grandparents for the long weekend, I've been in Chicago every year since 2009, celebrating with friends. I don't want to be one of those people CNN interviews who are standing in line waiting to get home. Inevitably there will be some huge winter storm tearing apart the Midwest, which, combined with hoards of holiday travelers, ruins every one's weekend.

B's family lives in St. Louis, a fairly quick and painless trip from Chicago on the road. This past weekend we took the Greyhound bus for a visit, and I have to say that I'm definitely a fan! Everything from booking tickets to checking luggage to boarding the bus is painless, and you get more leg room than on airplanes. Plus, unlike airplanes, there are outlets to keep electronics charged, and free wifi (although the connection wasn't great). I'll write a longer post later about Greyhounding - I want to fully discus the bus system.

We also could have taken B's motorcycle, but given the uncertainty of weather at this time of year, it seemed risky (and really cold!) to take such a long trip on a bike.

As far as this Thanksgiving Day, we haven't set any plans yet - maybe we'll be making turkey and potatoes, maybe we'll participate in a local turkey trot, or maybe we'll go check out a local park if the weather behaves.

What are your travel plans for this week, and how do you make weather accommodations?

An Ode to Souvenirs

I love shopping. I love buying things and having new things, and I love (some of) my old things, especially when they remind me of where I purchased them and who I was at that time. I also love the act of shopping - walking into a store, examining its wares, feeling fabrics and jewelry. I especially love museum shops - it's so nice being able to TOUCH things after an hour or more of scrutiny from guards any time I breathe too heavily in the general direction of a Renoir.

I'm also somewhat of a pack rat. The last time I moved, an entire room of my apartment was filled with boxes of my things. There were several boxes of books and DVDs, art supplies, and enough kitchen items to fill a small restaurant. I also had a small(ish) box of trinkets, souvenirs from places I've been. I know they take up too much space, they're too fragile, an invitation for my cat to break something. I have the box of currency, train tickets, hotel cards, maps, postcards from various trips across several continents and time zones, things I can't bear to part with that I haven't taken the time to look at since I unpacked. Maybe I should get rid of these things, as I keep telling myself I will the next time I have a free afternoon.

Some of my souvenirs are larger - prints I purchased in China that I had framed now adorn my living room walls.

Sometimes I buy jewelry - a necklace from Barcelona, earrings from Florence, a five-yen coin I've worn nearly every day since I left Tokyo.


Some are practical - my favorite bag is an orange one with an elephant print I purchased in Nafpilon, Greece in 2007. My mother resews the seams every time I go home. About a month ago I switched to a bag with a zipper and pockets, but that bag is something I'll never get rid of.

I have a beautiful leather jacket from Athens and a long blue trench coat from Beijing. My favorite scarf (which matches the trench coat perfectly) was purchased on a whim from a street vendor in Budapest. I have shoes from Greece and a suitcase from China. I recently purchased a lightweight jacket from Devil's Lake that I might wear until it falls apart. Using these things (especially in winter, when it gets dark before 5) is a pleasant reminder of those trips.

I love my photographs. The best photos I make my computer background, which is set to switch pictures every minute. Some I print out and put in albums, although they don't get viewed that often. My absolute favorites I paint and draw. This painting I made in 2009 in my dining room is a scene from an island off the coast of Venice I captured in 2005.



This watercolor from 2011 is from my favorite Tokyo snapshot, taken in 2010.

This oil pastel of the Summer Palace I made one rainy day in 2013 was taken on my first sunny day in Beijing.

When I buy tshirts, I wear them until the underarms wear out, but I keep them anyways - I WILL make that t-shirt quilt!

For someone who hasn't gained another stamp in her passport since 2011, sometimes I worry that I live in the past. Maybe I should clean off my dresser and buy new jewelry instead of relying on the tired old pieces or trying to make them fit every outfit. There are SO many gorgeous scarves I could purchase - or make! - but I can't bear to part with my favorite.

My favorite part of  Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" is his interpretation of time - the idea that I can revisit any moment of my life, past or future, at any time. The obvious trade-off is that there's no free will and no mystery about what's to come. My travel souvenirs are like that. When I'm bored to death waiting for the doctor, I can touch my yen-necklace and return to the night I watched world cup soccer in Roppongi. When taking out the trash, I can slip on a pair of polka-dot Vanns and suddenly I'm back in Athens. When things get down, I remember not only that I was there, but I will go back.

Also, I think my integration of travel purchases into my life saves me money in the long run. Despite any desire for a new scarf, I haven't bought one since 2007 because I love my Budapest scarf so much. I don't shop for jewelry on a whim - I have four or five pieces I wear with various outfits, and that's enough.

Other people have different approaches to souvenirs - purchasing one Christmas ornament per trip, or only taking photographs (a particularly useful one if you're traveling for an extended period of time).

In the comments, leave a note about (1) your favorite souvenir from trips past; (2) how you shop for souvenirs; and (3) how you integrate your travel things into your life.

Cheers!

Updates!

Good afternoon loyal followers! I wanted to share some exciting news: I'm writing for The Examiner, a user-generated news site. My specialty is, of course Chicago Travel. Check out my profile: http://www.examiner.com/travel-in-chicago/amelia-niemi.

My first project is the wonderful world of Chicago food trucks. So far I've reviewed two: The Roost and The Lunchbox.

I will, of course, continue to update you, my loyal readers, with my travels and events periodically. I have some great articles in the work about Madison, Wisconson, Devil's Lake, and Grayhound busses.

Finally, I have a twitter: https://twitter.com/HereAreMonsters. I have not twitted yet, but stay tuned!