Gift Guide #8: Gifts from Abroad
A little vacation magic for under the tree.
When I first crossed the threshold of Avoca on Suffolk Street in Dublin’s city centre, I knew I’d need to play a serious game of Tetris to carry my treasures home inside my suitcase. The iconic Irish store was adorned in brightly colored wool blankets that perfectly captured the whimsy and energy I’d witnessed across Ireland at the height of the Celtic Tiger, and I wanted a piece of that magic to keep for myself.
That’s the thing about souvenirs. You’re caught up in a great trip and try to make the magic last just a bit longer. You want to bottle up the moment and carry it home with you to replay over and over again. So, you buy things. Things for you, things for loved ones, things you may never use again but hold the promise to always remind you of an experience that can’t possibly be replicated at home.
Sometimes you get lucky and discover a store that will ship that vacation magic stateside anytime of year. Here’s a gift guide full of that very thing. I’ve flagged those shops that miraculously offer free shipping to the States.
