Finding creative gifts as a traveller can be really hard.  And  whilst travelling in any form has its joy, delight and its own fair share of challenges, as we continue to learn on our full-time, nomadic lifestyle.  Although to every challenge there is always a creative solution that often provides a far better outcome.  In this latest blog for our Life on the Road series we offer an alternative view of gift giving when you’re travelling whether as a weekend warrior, long-term or full-time. Be inspired by these creative gifts for travellers that will bring simplicity and joy to the receivers. 

As a proverbial giver and people-pleaser, one of my greatest joys is presenting gifts to people.  I love finding, choosing and giving meaningful presents that show people how they matter to me.  So you can imagine how this aspect of my personality has been seriously challenged as we continue to commit to our lives travelling around Europe in our motorhome.  Both getting gifts to my loved ones back ‘home’ and finding gestures of kindness for fellow travellers that we connect with along the way, is tricky.  After all when you are living in a small home, have a weight and space consideration or are moving around a lot with perhaps just a backpack or small camper, having any more ‘stuff’ than is absolutely necessary is just not practical, despite the gratification it creates.  Consider the added fact that with umpteen culturally diverse local shops enticing you with their handmade wears, it’s so hard to resist their goodies as you know how impractical it is to package things up and send them home.

So what’s a ‘giving sort of girl’ to do with this conundrum?

Well three things strike me as I write about this travelling challenge.  First is how to use your imagination to make lovely gestures to your loved ones.  Second is making use of the internet and the third is being inspired by the creativity of others you meet along the way and being motivated by their gifting perspectives.

Imagination and creativity in gift giving

Travel has been one of my greatest teachers and no more do I look to the commerciality of gift giving – practicalities guide me to seek out my inspiration from nature and ‘out of the box’ resources. One of the skills I am fortunate enough to have is being creative and using my imagination to conjure up gifts that come from the heart and that are made with love.  A long time ago I learnt that giving is not about price or volume, it’s thinking about someone and finding a way to expresses your love. We gave up buying presents for annual celebrations years ago as it is so easy to get caught up in the marketing trap that invites us to spend money on meaningless gifts because we are conditioned into think that is the right thing to do.

Travelling has taught me otherwise.

So now I use my creativity to look at gift ideas in a different way;

The internet is a great ‘gifting’ resource

These days, being remote doesn’t have to mean that gifts can be sent in time for celebrations.  In fact it is such an easy way to remind people that you are thinking of them.  Shopping and sending creations remotely can be done so effortlessly these days; with a bit of a signal, the press of a few buttons and hey presto; gift chosen, purchased and sent.  Here’s some of the ways we send gifts remotely;

• I love taking creative photos, whether with my Samsung phone or my DSLR Camera.  I then use a Photo Editing App – Pixlr to add text or to create a collage that I then email to friends to convey our happy times together.
• I love to upload photos into eCard websites such as Funky Pigeon or my favourite is Moonpig so I can send personalised love through the post for Anniversaries and Birthdays.  And Snapfish to create photo albums of memories for special occasions.
• I also use the web for gift and flower deliveries just to let people know I’m thinking of them or for saying thank you.  Big stores, such as Marks and Spencer or John Lewis are great resources for our UK friends or Amazon for UK and worldwide deliveries.  Liberty Trading is also great for different gift ideas that you can send from afar.
• I have started to use on-line florists, Bloom&Wild who are a letterbox flower delivery company and they are fabulous.  Really lovely, organic flowers and bouquets, suiting all budgets.  And ordering can be pretty much ‘next day’ in case you’ve forgotten that all-important date because you’re too busy having fun or in the midst of travelling.
  

Inspiration from others

So you can travel, stay in touch with loved ones and give gifts of love – it’s just about looking at presents and sharing differently and without the commercial edge and expectation.  And the best bit?  Making something, crafting something with your own fair hand gives the giver so much joy and pleasure; so everyone’s a winner.

There are so many resources at our fingertips, so much simplicity – we just need to see giving to others in a new light and boom! From a challenge to a creative solution; a gift from your heart to theirs giving you both so much more meaning and value.

If you  love it, pin it…