Travel Temptations

There’s something about gift shops.
You walk in with zero intentions.
And walk out with six postcards, a snow globe, and a stuffed penguin wearing a regional hat.

Or… you try to walk out. Because sometimes—just sometimes—you consider walking out with more.

This is a reflection.
A confession.
A completely innocent list of things we definitely did NOT steal.

(But wow were they tempting.)

🗿 1. The Forbidden Display Cookie

Location: A bakery in Madrid
Status: Encased in glass
Notes: Perfectly frosted. Probably stale. Definitely decorative.
Verdict: I licked the air. Mini Blue had to steer me away.

🎩 2. The Top Hat from a Shop Mannequin

Location: London, gift shop near Buckingham Palace
Status: Impeccably dapper
Notes: Pandy said, “Absolutely not.” I said, “But what if I am the next royal corgi?”
Verdict: Settled for a postcard. Still bitter.

🌌 3. The Galaxy-Themed Spoon from the Café

Location: Amsterdam
Status: Too tiny. Too shiny. Too sparkly to ignore.
Notes: It stirred my tea just right. I bonded with it emotionally.
Verdict: Pandy offered to buy it. They said it was part of the fixed set. I mourned.

🧂 4. The Mini Salt Shaker

Location: A diner in San Francisco
Status: Shaped like a bear. Wearing sunglasses.
Notes: I tried to disguise it in my hoodie pocket. Mini Blue snitched.
Verdict: Returned with a note that said “you are too cute.”

🎁 5. The Giant Bow from a Hotel Decor Wreath

Location: Holiday season, Denmark
Status: Larger than my whole body
Notes: I argued it would make the perfect napping parachute.
Verdict: Took a photo instead. Still dreams about it.

🐾 The Real Souvenirs?

Pandy says the best souvenirs are memories.
Mini Blue says it’s the free mints by the checkout.
I say… it’s a little bit of both.

We may not have that spoon.
But we remember how it twinkled in the café light.
We didn’t take the cookie, but the moment? It’s mine forever.

💭 Final Thought:

Souvenirs don’t have to fit in your suitcase.
Some tuck themselves into your heart.
(And others into your travel hoodie, if you're sneaky enough.)

But seriously—we didn’t steal anything. Probably.