"When my home burned down in the Los Angeles wildfires last January, I felt bereft of not just my belongings and my way of life, but of my identity. We had left the house the morning of the fire to go to school and work. Only my partner managed to return home once we'd heard the news. As the fire was consuming the hill behind our house, he grabbed a few important items like passports, some jewelry, and a change of clothes."
"Among the items I mourned, personally, were my children's baby blankets and my engagement ring-but also, my travel souvenirs. There is something about holding an item in your hands and having the memories of a far-flung place, and the moment you bought it, come rushing back. Looking at a photo on a screen doesn't transport me; the weight of something I found and chose to carry home always has."
"Frequent travelers all have their thing when it comes to mementos. Mine has mainly been Christmas ornaments, typically handmade. My favorites were glass-blown candy canes that I bought near the Great Wall of China during my first trip to the country in 2011. It was the furthest I'd ever traveled from home, and the sight of a candy cane cured my homesickness."
A home burned in the Los Angeles wildfires in January, leaving occupants with only what they wore and what was in their cars. Passport, jewelry and a change of clothes were salvaged, while the house and town were destroyed. The loss of everyday items like clothing, eyeglasses and shoes produced a feeling of estrangement from one's own body. Family heirlooms, artwork and photos that documented lives were lost. Personal mementos such as children's baby blankets, an engagement ring and travel souvenirs were mourned. Physical objects evoked vivid memories of distant places in a way that photos on screens did not.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]