15 April 2011

i'm grateful for 'charms & travel'

Greetings all,
Thoroughly exhausted after a big term of school.  Finally on holidays, yahoo!! 
So many things to be grateful for this week, like fabulous schools, wonderful teachers, the vouchers i get in the mail from where i buy sneakers, school shoes & uniforms (read: i spend THAT much on these items, they send me $50 sympathy vouchers).  But, this week i'm going to be grateful for an unsung piece of jewellery from my childhood - my charm bracelette, filled with trinkets & memories of my travels.
Now i was one very lucky girl who went on a dozen round-the-world trips with her family before i even started university, i had travel crazy parents - my father in the Australian Navy travelling the high seas & his dream to take my mother back to England to see her family + their love of Asia (on the way to Europe) & always ALWAYS home via America, so we could double the baggage allowance, just in case my mother's holiday shopping couldn't spread over 6 people already??!!
People tell me they chose to have children later in life as they wanted to travel first.  I thoroughly appreciate my travelling childhood - but we also have the 'have children, will travel' attitude of my parents.  I often get strange looks when i say we take our children with us on holidays or board a plane with them - have to say, their best behaviour ever is on the plane, in hotels & the joy or being tourists on a new adventure.  They eat anything & will try new customs, we're pretty thrilled how flexible they are.  They have even worked out who is studying which language at high school so they can travel together - i absolutely love that!! 
 Let me share some of my journeys . . .
Carribean sailing ship, German cow bell, Welsh dragon, some French tower, San Diego zoo dolphin, Cornish pixie, Belgian deer . . .   
 . . . Hawaiian pineapple, Australian slouch hat, Singaporean rikshaw operator (sans rikshaw), St Christopher blue medal - patron saint of travel, Hong Kong lion, silver half frank coin . . . 
 Dutch clog, Hawaiian cultural centre, Chinese san pan, Austrian eidelweiss, New Zealand kiwi, tennis racquet from Wimbeldon, Mickey Mouse from LA Disneyland, mototaxi from Macau, Mexican hat & a royal carriage from London.
 I have more charms to add from additional countries in Europe from two massive European trips since university with my husband (honeymoon & 2nd honeymoon).
I was so thrilled when my non-stop-travelling parents insisted on starting my 3 girls with charm bracelettes of their very own.  They have been lucky to gain charms on their own travels to Hong Kong, China, Macau, Singapore & Disneyland.   
Basically i'm a sucker for charms (like this pretty pendant from Schmooks at Shop Handmade) & i am constantly told how charming my husband is too!!
Happy gratefuls with Maxabella Loves this Saturday, i am promising myself to wear this gorgeous charm bracelette more often & finally add all my charms on (from Switzerland, Croatia, Greece, Italy.)  Love Posie

PS for those of you who visit Shop Handmade in the school holidays - i play full time mummy to my 4 children & only work there during school terms - so sorry if i miss you!!
EDIT: thanks for no comments so far saying i was spoilt - we knew we were very lucky to travel so far & wide & often.  My husband didn't travel until he was 21 & considered me incredibly spoilt & unworthy of EVER having the window seat again.  He often gets upgraded to business class on our family trips & i happily sit in economy with all the children, so who is spoilt now??  I said he was charming!!

19 comments:

Cate said...

Oh yes! Mine has the eidelweiss and the tennis racquet and the eifel tower and the lion (hubby is a leo)!
Must get mine out and have a lookie :-)
Must get ones for each of my girls too!!
have a great weekend Posie
xxxCate

Hot Fudge said...

Good on your parents for introducing their children to the joys of travel at an early age. We did the same with ours way back in 1986 when we travelled the world for nine weeks. It's something that our children appreciate to this day.

Rhi@FlourChild said...

Love it! What a fabulous childhood :) We love travelling with our kids too, and I hope they will have fantastic memories of each holiday.
When I read your list of charms, I read "Cornish Pasty" instead of 'pixie'... Hmm, subconsiously hungry and craving some pastry me thinks :)
x Rhi

Bron said...

What a fabulous way to remember some fantastic memories...Good on your parents giving you such a great childhood.

Frances said...

How lucky were you growing up to see all those places and your kids to experience what they are. Well done, I would like to start that trend for my daughter. thanks for your blog, enjoy very much!! happy holidays! frances

CHD said...

What a lovely way to keep memories. I too have a travelling childhood- round the world trips yearly for a lot of it (parent's work was the reason). My memories clutter my book shelves. I want my kids to travel too- our first big adventure with our completed family is later this year- all booked now, just counting down. But, trying to find affordable, self catering accomodation for a family of 6 is almost an impossibility in some places! Cx

Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit said...

That's gorgeous!! Such a beautiful memory. I have lots of gratefuls this week, one of which was having lunch with a fellow Canberra blogger. It made me think of you. I really MUST drop in and say "hi" and perhaps whisk you away for coffee ...

Bron66 said...

I had the same sort of charms when I was a girl (mostly from the 70s)I had the golden gate bridge,San Diego Zoo, pineapple etc. My Dad was a pilot so we did a bit of traveling. Unfortunately it was stolen! Then my Mum decided to give me hers which was almost a replica of my old one. It's a shame I can't afford to do the same traveling with my kids. Such a wonderful way to learn about the world.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you really are a seasoned traveller.

I love that your charms hold memories of all the places you have travelled.

Hot Fudge said...

Hope you enjoy your stay in "sunny" Brisbane. Thanks so much for bringing that Canberra weather with you!

Alice Becomes said...

wow, that is one packed charm bracelet, love how it tells a story and i like your have children, will travel attitude

Now I have to go searching for my childhood charm bracelet!

Gill xo

Alice Becomes said...

wow, that is one packed charm bracelet, love how it tells a story and i like your have children, will travel attitude

Now I have to go searching for my childhood charm bracelet!

Gill xo

admin said...

Gorgeous charms you have there!!

Anonymous said...

I love this post and I miss charm bracelets. I think I'm going to start one for my daughter, altho she's 25 now, I don't think it's too late and who knows, maybe she'll pass it on to her daughter.. Kudos to your parents. I was a military kid too and we went everywhere my parents went and there were 7 of us kids! And in turn I have always taken my children wherever I went and like your children, mine were always on their best behavior when we were out n' about. It was a lot of fun.. Now the kiddies are all grown and I really miss those days..

Tania McCartney said...

I love this bracelet - it's utterly beautiful and what glorious memories!

On travel: I don't think you were at all 'spoilt'. I think it's vital kids travel with their parents. At last count, our kids have travelled to eight different countries and we certainly aren't rich - we just prioritise travel over most other luxuries - so I can totally relate to your parents.

Yes you were 'lucky' but your parents were responsible for that luck and I think what they did for you was really a beautiful gift.

Now excuse me, you've inspired me to spin the globe and start squirreling away for our next trip!

xx

Little Angel Little Devil said...

Jennie, I realllly want to see your beautiful charm bracelet, what a beautiful idea!!!
Myself I have not travelled far and wide, but when I do gee a charm bracelet is just what I will do, and I shall think of you with each charm gained! xxx

the old boathouse said...

Hey Posie, So nice that you are in Brissie, so glad you brought the cooler weather with you, I admit to being over the humidity we have had of late. I hope to have the typewriters over at the WAC by Sunday arvo. They are priced $45 each for the plain manual and the electric and $65 for the groovy one, but don't forget to mention you know me and get 10% off, I am shop 17,xx cheers Katherine

Brenda @ 13 Acres said...

Oh wow - i think that is great that you were such a young traveller!! what stories you must have to share!! And the charms bracelets are just such a lovely way of capturing each place. xx

Lauren said...

Gosh how blessed to go and see the world as a youngin! xx