One of my favorite things to do when I travel is find and peruse the local thrift shops and flea markets. The stuff’s just different everywhere you go, even if it’s only as far as a town an hour away, or sometimes, even a different area of your own city.

It’s such an interesting way to look at a place/culture, and in my experience, I’ve found that the very best souvenirs are thrifted.

Every time I look at the mismatched “pair” of hand crafted pottery sheep I found on two separate trips to Scotland, I’m treated to a memory collage of the many sheep I saw there, the ever-damp air, finding the first figurine in a charity shop off a little cobblestone alley and knowing instantly that I was going to buy it and what memories it would conjure, and then the next trip finding the second one in a different charity shop in a different city, and having a little deja-vu moment to add to the collage. Isn’t that what we want from a souvenir?

VintageInteriorxx of Yellow Coffee Pot‘s great finds and gorgeous photos are enough to make you want to book a flight to Finland for the sole purpose of thrifting. This kitchen of hers is incredible!

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Finnish blogger @kirppur takes us along she thrifts all over, too! I see several things here that would come home with me in my suitcase.

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PRO TIPS: 1) The less you pack going, the more room you’ll have in your suitcase for goodies when you return. 2) I have, on numerous occasions, packed only carry-on for both domestic & overseas flights, then bought a thrifted suitcase to check on the way back, filled with thrifted treasures.

So what about you? Are you a thrift store traveler? What’s your favorite away-from-home find?

xo