Our Tico Vase
Maybe it’s a byproduct of being a well-traveled kid, collecting memories from every corner of the earth in the form of souvenirs. I have tins from Switzerland, Belgium, England and France that at one point were filled with sweet chocolate delicacies. I have a dress from Paris I bought when I was in middle school that I refuse, downright refuse, to give to GoodWill because, well, it’s my dress from Paris. Too bad I’m not a tiny little 13 year old anymore, it’s a beautiful dress. Alex and I have gigantic beer mugs from Hofbräuhaus that are taken out on occasional Friday nights. More recently, on a trip to Venice, Alex and I bought ourselves a special engagement gift- a set of six hand blown champagne flutes from the Mazzuccato family on the island Murano. One shattered into a trillion pieces this New Years Eve thanks to a little too much champagne. Now there are five.
The point I’m trying to make is that I’ve never been one for chintzy souvenir shops with their gaudy, Made in China, overpriced junk. I mean, how many key chains and t-shirts can one use in a day? Plus, I hate dust collectors. When Alex and I bought our house almost 3 years ago (wow!), we vowed to only buy if it had a purpose. So, besides pictures hanging on the walls and the IMAGINE sign above the buffet, it must have a purpose to be in our house.
On our honeymoon, it didn’t take long to realize that basically everything Costa Rican fell into the chintzy category. Fail. Driving to Arenal Volcano, we stopped in Sarchi, which is known for Costa Rican artisans, hoping to catch a break. After hunting through shop after shop, we were regretting our little detour. And we were hungry. Until, that is, I found this beautiful, understated mango wood vase. We needed a nice, everyday vase and it was calling out to me. Plus, it would fit in our suitcase.
And so it was, that the only thing we bought to take home with us from our honeymoon was this little wooden vase, carved out of mango wood with a crack on the side. We try to keep flowers in it daily. The ritual of cutting the flowers and arranging them in the vase is one of my favorite activities. My mind dances and sings to the sights and sounds of Costa Rica. I fill a tiny corner of our home with the colors and life we miss so much from our honeymoon. It is a perfect little piece of our time in Costa Rica- our Tico vase.
*Filed under Wanderlust Life*
