Today, I want to share something that truly warmed my heart, a small but beautiful collection of gifts I received from my fiancé’s sister. She just returned from a cruise around Italy, which apparently even reached Corsica and she brought me back a handful of treasures that instantly filled me with joy. I’m a type of person who absolutely adores small, meaningful things. Objects that carry a story, a scent or even just a feeling of the place they came from. And these gifts are exactly that: little fragments of the Mediterranean, each with its own charm and memory. 😍
First thing that caught my eye was a bracelet made of red coral stones, which, I think are natural corals from Sardinia. It’s simple, elegant, and carries a kind of raw beauty. The color is like deep Mediterranean red that reminds me of sunsets over the sea and warm evenings. When I put it on I couldn’t help but feel connected to that place, as if I were there myself, walking along the coast listening to the wild waves.
Then there is this beautiful cork wallet, decorated with colorful geometric patterns. I’m again amazed by how soft and lightweight cork feels, cause I also have a beautiful cork wallet-case that my fiancé brought me from Portugal, not long after we started dating. The design is so cheerful with colors that blend so harmoniously together that it looks almost like a piece of folk art, and I love FOLK! 🥰
Something that really piqued my curiosity was a small packet labeled “Mirto Biologico Raccolto ed Essiccato in Sardegna.” My Italian isn’t perfect, but I understood enough to realize it’s some organic plant harvested and dried in Sardinia. I think I’ve heard of mirto before, but I ddn't knew it is often used to make a traditional Sardinian liqueur, a kind of sweet, aromatic spirit that captures the essence of the island. I’m not sure exactly how to use it yet in our Serbian cousine, hihi. The leaves and berries have a deep beautiful herbal scent. I will definitely need to do a bit of research.
Of course, there are sugar packets! Yes, real sugar packets from cafés and restaurants each with its own design and logo. Some people collect postcards, some collect shells but I collect sugar packet and everyone knows that. I think I have more than a hundred... maybe twice that. From different parts of the world, carefully stored and labeled. Sometimes I also save the matching spoons, napkins or even toothpicks with the café’s logo. It’s like a sweet little museum of everyday life, my own “sugar fairytale”. These new ones from Italy and Sardinia are perfect additions to my collection. I can already picture myself sitting down one weekend to organize them, maybe over a cup of coffee and maybe writing a blog about it, to show you to my little treasure.
What touches me most about these gifts isn’t just what they are, it is the thought behind them! My fiancé’s sister clearly chose each item with care and that means a lot to me. She didn’t just pick up random souvenirs; she thought about what I’d enjoy... the textures, the colors, the meanings. It’s the kind of gesture that says, “I thought of you” , so isn’t that the most beautiful kind of gift? There’s something magical about receiving small, meaningful objects from people who know you. They may not be expensive or grand, but they hold so much emotional value. Each one is a token of connection... to a person, a place and a moment in time. When I look at these gifts all together... the bracelet, the cork wallet, myrtle leaves, magnet and the sugar packets... they paint a picture of a journey. A journey I didn’t physically take, but one I can now imagine vividly through the eyes and heart of someone who did.
Maybe that’s what travel is really about > not just moving from one place to another, but sharing pieces of those experiences with others, carrying the beauty of one place into another life. Today, as I look at these gifts spread out on my table, I feel grateful > for thoughtfulness, for family, and for all the tiny lovely things that make life feel rich and full.
