Theresa's Trove of Treasures

Ever since I have seen absolute poverty, I've been having the most difficult time trying to turn a blind eye to it. It is one aspect of my life that I struggle with on a daily basis: trying to find a balance between my desire to simplify my life, and my innate need to surround myself with beautiful things.  My vagabond ways began at a point when I needed to find a greater purpose in my life, one outside the realm of materialism. Yet, I still found myself spending countless hours roaming bazaars and markets in foreign lands hoping to score the perfect one of a kind keepsake to bring "home." Being born a Taurus with a feminine, creative energy, I like pretty objects that inspire me, and I do dream about someday having a house filled with the discoveries from my travels.


In my everyday life, one of my favorite things to do is to browse antique stores. I love them: it is like stepping back into time. In a world where everything is so out in the open, I love the mystery that still exists in these shops. I often wonder about the past lives of these antiques, and the people who owned them. I also visit antique shops  to recapture the memory (and smell) of my grandparents' large farmhouse. A minimalist's nightmare, it was like a field trip to a museum for a small child. Filled to the brim with treasures and artifacts, everything had a piece of history attached. Even though travelling has made me 101% less materialistic, and I have come to detach myself from most objects that have no meaning, I have decided that it is ok to allow myself to collect items throughout my travels. Not a fan of trinkets or "things" that have no particular functional use, I usually decide on one bigger item of higher quality from each country that I visit.  Each item is handpicked, has a story behind it, and represents a greater part of a journey. My journey.

Some of My Most Prized Possessions:

1. My African Dance Mask:  On the day that I bought this, I decided to I test it out.  I came out of my room modelling it for my African sister, and she ran away screeching. My Memere Miller used to take out her dentures and wiggle her tongue to scare us. My mom had a witches' hat and a wooden spoon. I will have this mask (eat your heart out, Dian Fossey).

2. My Balinese Painting:  The man, who sold it to me, told me a sad story about his uncle , the painter. I was gullible enough to believe it.

3. My Norwegian Parka: Isn't she a beaut? I first saw it at the beginning of my Scandinavian trip, in Iceland, but didn't want the burden of lugging it around for the remaining six weeks of travel. I was more than thrilled when I came across it once again on my last day at a store in Norway. After 8 years of wearing the same pink winter jacket (so worn, it was starting to turn brown) in order to afford travel, I decided it was worth the splurge.

4. Textiles: An enslaved weaver in my previous life, and as someone who considers becoming an interior designer on a regular basis, I love to collect bright, colorful textiles wherever I go.

5.  My African Wall Hangings: Bought these at a Carver's Market in Dar es Salaam, where I got to see the artists at work.

6. My Brazilian Tablecloth: At the time of purchase, I was a starving student and felt pretty guilty for spending $40 on this hand-crocheted tablecloth. Over time, it has proven to be very versatile, and it is by far one of my favorite travel finds.

7. Matryoshka Dolls: My grandparents had a Dutch version of these dolls, and I always wanted to have a set of my own. The Russian dolls I really loved were made from glass, but starting at $200, for me, were too extravagant. I settled on these wooden ones, and I have grown to love them very much.

8. My Estonian Apron: I only began to enjoy cooking and baking a year or two ago, when I became interested in veganism. For me, veganism is just another outlet for creativity. I love to take regular recipes and come up with ways to make them healthier, using lesser known ingredients. I have started to collect aprons since, and picked up this hand-painted apron with homemade ink in Estonia.