• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Coronavirus • Editorial  >  My Travel Souvenirs Are Mocking Me
CoronavirusEditorial

My Travel Souvenirs Are Mocking Me

Kyle Stewart Posted onAugust 23, 2020September 13, 2021 11 Comments
My dear readers, some links on this site pay us referral fees for sending business and sales. We value your time and money and will not waste it. For our complete advertising policy, click here. The content on this page is not provided by any companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone.

Going from global to very much local has been a hard transition. Now it’s my inanimate travel souvenirs that are mocking me. 


If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com.


If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today.

Taunting Me

It’s a hot August afternoon, my wife is in the garage wearing an I [heart] HK shirt, no doubt picked up from the Lady Markets in Mongkok for $2, and I am incensed. This deep black shirt has to be the only one left for which the colors haven’t faded and the shirt hasn’t shrunk to little more than a washcloth. My eyes sink into the blackness, an unfathomable depth of abandonment and betrayal.

On seemingly every shelf of my house some emblem of our excursions taunt me, call me back to places far away. A model A-320 I couldn’t pass up on an Air Asia flight, a bottle opener magnet from Paris greets me at the fridge, tiny stashed Tobasco bottles (they are adorable) swiped from a room service cart now rot in my pantry as I try to eat my pain away.

A United A320 is overhead. I used to relish the days of being on the flight path, but now, as the engines yawn overhead, it’s tempting me. No, it’s taunting me.

Mocking Me

The very pen I write with is from a hotel. I feel it’s heavy weight in my hands, a pristine metal finish, it slides gracefully over the lines of my notebook and reminds me of places where quality and precision are important. Where the quality feel of the pen in your hand leads to a better product from your hand. And someone, on the other side of the world, is picking up an identical pen and admiring the weight as I have, as they begin scribbling thoughts from a bedside notepad in a place I want to be.

“Remember where we first met?” The pen mocks me as I use it. I want to throw it out the window, to scream that I haven’t forgotten, rather I can hardly escape it.

Leaving the pen behind in my office I flee up the stairs to distract myself with anything else. At the top of the stairs, black and white photos of our first trip to Hong Kong Disneyland are next to my wife holding our daughter as we paced through the Forbidden City in Beijing. Along the same wall, images of the quiet beaches of China’s Red Hawai’i at the pristine Park Hyatt Sanya briefly take me back to warm smiles and hearty laughs.

Everywhere I turn, my souvenirs mock me.

Lucy loved the massive bay windows at the Park Hyatt Sunny Bay in Sanya, China
Lucy loved the massive bay windows at the Park Hyatt Sunny Bay in Sanya, China

My Souvenirs, A Double-Edged Sword

Once purchased to remind me of the places I’ve been and the things I’ve seen are now used to tear me apart. They were a double-edged sword for which I never accurately judged their danger. They cut me deep, they slice into me as I try to go about my daily life.

For a moment, they are effective.

And it’s not just the souvenirs that defeat me. It’s the faintest hint of coffee grounds at the bottom of a cup. How I long for an Arabic coffee with its rich flavor and gritty texture as I never quite mastered the art of avoiding injestion of the grounds that swirl at the bottom. It’s an image that pops up on my iPhone in the “two years ago” memory of the perfect breakfast – wonton noodle soup with bok choy and chili sauce. Or the chopsticks I swiped from a Cathay Pacific flight, don’t judge me.

Wonton noodle soup
Wonton noodle soup

There’s no replacing it, there’s no close substitute. When you’ve tasted a Mexican street taco with crisp onion and fresh cilatro, you can try to recreate it, you can find a close comparison, but there’s just not enough gristle in the tacos here. To that effect, warm tortillas, and the smell of an adobo house in the heat of the day are irreplaceable.

Will It Ever Get Better?

The most haunting thought of it all is that even when the latest crisis is defeated a new one will take its place. Many of us never stopped taking liquids out of our bags or emptying a backpack full of electronics at the airport. It’s for our safety, yes, but will we ever be safe enough again to travel with shampoo? Will I ever again be able to just buy a ticket and disregard my troubles on the way to the airport without first accepting an inoculation or delay my impulse 48 hours until I have a negative test result? Is the magic gone never to return with just the memories on my walls, my desk, in my pantry to remind me of a simpler time where people took risks and it was fine?

I really don’t know anymore. But the one thing I do know is that my wife is going to have a lot of trouble finding that taunting, mocking, deathly black shirt any time soon. That’s okay Carly, we bought them in a pack of ten, just wear the happy yellow one next time.

What do you think? Are your souvenirs mocking you? 

Previous Article Navy SEAL Banned For Not Wearing A Mask Wants A Meeting With Delta CEO
Next Article Disney’s Campaign Against Annual Passholders Backfiring

About Author

Kyle Stewart

Kyle is a freelance travel writer with contributions to Time, the Washington Post, MSNBC, Yahoo!, Reuters, Huffington Post, MapHappy, Live And Lets Fly and many other media outlets. He is also co-founder of Scottandthomas.com, a travel agency that delivers "Travel Personalized." He focuses on using miles and points to provide a premium experience for his wife and daughter. Email: sherpa@thetripsherpa.com

Follow us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Related Posts

  • chatgpt

    What Are The Effects Of AI (ChatGPT) On Travel Blog Writing?

    December 11, 2022
  • Elon Musk Twitter

    For Travelers, Brands Leaving Elon Musk’s Twitter A Mistake

    November 6, 2022
  • horizon airlines crash

    Stolen Plane In Mississippi, Reminiscent of Horizon Crash

    September 4, 2022

11 Comments

  1. Robert Reply
    August 23, 2020 at 10:19 am

    Please share where the wonton noodle soup come from?

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      August 23, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      That one happened to be the Park Hyatt Shenzhen.

  2. derek Reply
    August 23, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    If you start hearing voices from the souvenir, you should seek psychiatric advice, not that this means your crazy or anything like that. Could be a metabolic problem.

  3. Mick Reply
    August 23, 2020 at 1:35 pm

    That soup looks really good.

    Saw an old AA ticket yday on my dresser. Made me long to hit the airport

  4. JoeMart Reply
    August 23, 2020 at 3:08 pm

    I don’t know why I was under the impression your most cherished souvenirs involved romantic gestures like scouring the local library at your destination looking for poetry to come close describing your aching love. Neruda,García Lorca maybe Julia de Burgos.

  5. Linda Brown-Navilys Reply
    August 23, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    Thanks for sharing. My souvenirs in pictures are great reminders of my travels to Japan, and yes they do begging me to come back….but When???

    I’m currently planning a trip next week to Dubai
    As a standby Traveler. The Hoops you got to jump through because of this pandemic is at nauseam.
    And just thinking about that Q-tip being jabbed up my nose it’s no fun and wearing mask everywhere is a Debbie Downer, but what can you do?

    I just hope that will have fun despite all of the Hoops. you must jump through to get there.
    Will see✈✈✈

  6. Larry B Reply
    August 23, 2020 at 9:56 pm

    Kyle, you’re 1-for-2 in the anger inducing column tally for this weekend!

    We have so many souvenirs, mementos and other knick-knacks/bric-a-brac that remind of good times on the road/away from home.

    Just this week, while visiting family in the Denver area, discussing steak joints, I mentioned a place that I visited on business 15+ years ago…closed at least 6 years ago. Still have a complimentary pack of toothpicks sitting in a bowl on my dresser. See it all the time, just came up in conversation. Googled today to share with wifey and sister-in-law as to the current status of the place.

    Additionally, just went through my pics on the cloud for the past 3 years to create albums for my wife and son, since they may not have seen all the pics taken on all those trips (meals, flights, vistas and scenery). Many memories fondly remembered, several ideas for return trips or next places to go generated!

  7. Lorenzo Reply
    August 24, 2020 at 12:50 am

    Tell me again, how many loved ones in your family have you lost during this still-unfolding pandemic?

    Oh the humanity. Having to forego foreign vacations for a few months. And no Disneyland. What a hardship. How does one survive such tragedies?

    So terrible is this painful hurt you have to endure. It’s hard to imagine how anyone could bear such suffering.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      August 24, 2020 at 1:14 am

      I am so glad to have finally found someone who can empathize with my struggle. Thank you, Lorenzo!

    • Joe Reply
      August 24, 2020 at 11:32 am

      Yeah, this is a travel blog. Its read by people who tend to be passionate about Travel, and whose passion has now been cut off. How dare he write a tongue-in-cheek article about how he misses it? This guy Kyle is such a whiner! He should just sit in his house and shut up like a good boy.

  8. 747always Reply
    August 24, 2020 at 12:59 am

    Memories, pressed between the pages onf my mind.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Avianca 787-8 Business Class Review
    Review: Avianca 787-8 Business Class March 20, 2023
  • Color Blind Pilot Sues United Airlines For Firing Him March 20, 2023
  • Ryanair Twitter
    Ryanair Savagely Trolls Passenger On Twitter March 20, 2023
  • hyatt all-inclusive hyatt zilara rose hall
    Hyatt Acquisition Provides Hints About All-Inclusive Future March 19, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • American Airlines unaccompanied Minor Predator
    American Airlines Flight Attendant Freaks Out After Man Offers His First Class Seat To Child February 25, 2023
  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) February 21, 2023
  • Bankman-Fried Alaska Airlines
    Poor Sam Bankman-Fried “Downgrades” From American Airlines Business Class To Alaska Airlines First Class February 20, 2023
  • There’s A Pilot In My Seat! February 21, 2023

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.