Sand = A Proper Souvenir

I'm not a souvenir person at all.  Rarely do I return with anything from my travels except a full journal, a million pictures and maybe a small painting or kitchen tool.  What I do return with however is a small plastic bag of the local beaches sand. When I get home, I place the sand in a small glass jar, label it and add it to my collection.  I find it absolutely fascinating that sand can have so many hues pending on what part of the world I'm in.  The whitest sand EVER I picked up on a tiny atoll called Sandbanks Island in Zanzibar. I's sailed out to the tiny speck to go snorkeling and have a lobster BBQ on the beach; and the blackest sand I've come across has come from the coast of Seminyak, Bali.  Some days when the sky is grey and the wind is rattling my windows, I just stand and gaze at the row of sand on my fireplace mantle and conjure up all my travel tales, especially the food.  I guess it all goes back to food in the end.
*Interestingly enough, I'm headed to the BVI (St. John and Tortola) in a few weeks to look at a sailboat there--I've never been to that part of the Carib, so I'm excited to see what kind of sand I can haul home~and what kind of local treats I can stumble upon.

Comments

[mst]

Yeah, this is the best way to remember a taste of the world, for sure...and really, such a great conversation piece!

[Kathryn]

What a cool idea! I try to find beach/sea glass wherever I go, but I end up mixing it all together in a big glass jar when I get home. I like the idea of keeping the sand all separate for the contrast.

[fred t]

What a cool thing to do!!!