Travel Memories, One Coffee Mug at a Time

15 Jan 2026 04:04 PM - By Suraj

I don’t like buying fridge magnets (or other curios) from places I travel to. Instead, I prefer picking up unique coffee mugs—things I actually use once I’m back home.

Travel memorabilia, I’ve realized, are mostly for other people who visit your home. In my experience, once a magnet goes up on the fridge, you stop noticing it altogether.

I like being reminded of the places I’ve been to.

I drink multiple cups of coffee every day, and each time I make one, I reach for a different mug. I don’t choose a cup consciously, nor do I pause to stare at it and recall where or when I bought it. But every now and then, lost in thought as I sip my coffee, I notice the mug in my hand—and my mind jumps to a small, happy memory from that place.

The memory is often fleeting, but I enjoy it thoroughly. It’s my amateur version of a throwback.

PS – All this changed after marriage. My wife doesn’t quite buy my logic—and to be fair, there is only so much space in the kitchen.

Suraj