i don't come from a family of heirlooms. i didn't have any grandmothers growing up, and my mum isn't the traditional blingy type, so i was never really around expensive jewellery or 'fine things'. and, when i left australia, i left with one suitcase and not a whole lot else, so when john lewis insurance got in touch asking if i'd like to enter their what matters most competition, i was initially at a lost about what i could possibly choose to feature as my most treasured possession.
i wracked my brain for days, toying with things i love and i'd be sad to lose (some of my vintage treasures), expensive things that i'd be lost without (my phone and laptop, naturally), and things i loved to death and would try to grab as much of as i could if there was a fire (all of my preeeetty cloooothes!), but - were any of these really my most treasured possesion? nope. so i gave up.
incidentally, over the weekend i was trawling through my photo archives on facebook when i came across a picture of something that instantly made me smile - a picture that literally spoke a thousand words. it was a picture from the beginning of my uk adventure, shortly after i was back from a trip to france, belgium and holland. while i was there, i'd decided i was going to start a keyring collection, and add to it in every new country i'd visit. in the picture, there were only five key rings attached. after seeing the picture, i ran into my room and grabbed it out of it's box where it lives with my passport, adaptors and other travel necessities...
i wracked my brain for days, toying with things i love and i'd be sad to lose (some of my vintage treasures), expensive things that i'd be lost without (my phone and laptop, naturally), and things i loved to death and would try to grab as much of as i could if there was a fire (all of my preeeetty cloooothes!), but - were any of these really my most treasured possesion? nope. so i gave up.
incidentally, over the weekend i was trawling through my photo archives on facebook when i came across a picture of something that instantly made me smile - a picture that literally spoke a thousand words. it was a picture from the beginning of my uk adventure, shortly after i was back from a trip to france, belgium and holland. while i was there, i'd decided i was going to start a keyring collection, and add to it in every new country i'd visit. in the picture, there were only five key rings attached. after seeing the picture, i ran into my room and grabbed it out of it's box where it lives with my passport, adaptors and other travel necessities...
"to me, travelling means the world"
now it has fourteen other key rings attached, and there are another four attached to my actual keys. that's not including the travels i've taken inside the uk (although in the start i did collect them from counties too - but that started to get old, quick!), or trips i've taken to the same place more than once. each of these keyrings has a hundred stories, in jokes, and bad translations behind it, and these memories are probably the one thing of mine that truly, wuly matters the most to me.
every time i look at each of these keyrings i am taken back to the gungy hostel, to the all-beige foods, and the hilarious adventures had with great mates all around the world. some of the best times of my life. some of my happiest memories. of course my memories will always be with me, but hopefully this tiny token of my travels will be too, because it currently stands as my most treasured possession.
what matters the most to you? share your picture and your story in six words or less for the chance to win a john lewis shopping spree...hurry though, the competition closes this wednesday!
*post written in collaboration with brand. all memories are my own*
