The stress of travel

I don't know how to shop really. Sure - I'm plenty good at buying stuff. Shopping is something of a transactional mission - head out with the target item in mind, grab the first one you see, grab a couple of other shiny objects that look like you might need some day, pay for it and get out! Stereotypically, men shop this way.


So, in the midst of a 4-week long trip that takes me to Napa, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Jacksonville; I'm feeling a bit of stress. It's not based on figuring out how to pack for multiple climates and still limit my self to no checked baggage. It's not the high level government meetings in Canberra, or my presentations in front of oil and gas executives. It's not even the fact that I'm heading to the airport at home with a ticket to Sydney and a ticket home from Bangkok two weeks later, and nothing figured out in between. Nope - those are all just aspects of business travel, especially when you're trying to link a lot of activities and meetings into a single trip.


No, the stress began as I was saying my good-byes to the kids. "Bring us back something really neat, dad," was the request...and they really meant it. Now, I haven't really been much of an overachiever in terms of bringing back souvenirs for the boys. For international trips, their standard loot is the 'ditty bag' filled with personal care items, ear plugs and sleeping blinds that is issued when you fly in international business class. Conveniently, I receive one on the way out of the U.S. and one on the way home, perfect for the two boys. I think they have run out of creative things to do with foam ear plugs and aren't as into the taste of the generic toothpaste. On a trip to a power plant in West Virginia, I did bring Tyler back a lump of coal. He had been reading the "Magic School Bus" series, one book in the series was a journey through a power plant, showing how coal was converted to electricity...so having an actual piece of coal on his shelf was kinda cool at the time.

But the family was making it quite clear this time that I was not going to get off the hook by bringing home freebies from the airlines or coal. Besides, between Australia, Malaysia and Thailand, there should be some pretty worthy trinkets and gadgets to be had. Problem is: I don't know how to shop for trinkets and gadgets. Have you ever walked into a souvenir shop? I think my brain shifts into shopping overload. Suddenly, everything on the shelf starts to morph...it all starts looking like piles of useless junk...and it all seems to look really, really big - like something I would NEVER fit into my one, already overstuffed carry-on bag.


OK, maybe it's not ALL bad. Shelley's mom is easy to shop for. She collects those little silver spoons (although, after putting up that new bookshelf in her basement last month, I'm not sure where she's keeping her rack of souvenir spoons anymore) Souvenir spoons are universal - and simple. I almost always bring my mother-in-law a new silver spoon....

I've also learned that consistently picking up souvenirs for the mother-in-law while getting nothing for the wife is not particularly good form either.

So, the challenge looms before me - what makes a suitable take-home gift for the wife and kids - I'm open for suggestions. (oh yeah, I did check bags this time - with a small duffel bag with plenty of extra room to bring stuff back.)


I am into the seventh day of my trip, and have actually walked in to several stores with the intention of purchasing souvenirs - but the trinket-shopping paralysis is still there....I wonder if there is medication available for my calamity....or maybe men just can't shop.