Our fridge was running out of room, so it was time for a better solution.

For magnets that is.

We actually never set out to collect magnets. But it’s nice to get something that reminds you of places you’ve visited, of holidays in far-off lands. I like t-shirts but that gets expensive and my wardrobe is small so I have to limit those. Apparently there’s a buy one – throw one out rule. But judging from my buldging wardrobe that hasn’t been stricktly enforced.

Magnets however are small, unique and usually include something significant to the location.

This magnet collecting thing actually crept up on us and only became obvious on last year’s US trip as we were actively seeking out magnets that were different. By the end of our ride last year it was our mission, luggage in room, get changed, get a magnet … then get dinner.

When we got home from the US and started sticking up our collected magnets it was clear that while we weren’t focused on collecting magnets on previous trip we had in fact got one from most places we’d visited from our travels.

And now our fridge was overloaded and the magnets were getting damaged. So it was time to look at a better solution.  I looked at making something and then we found magnet boards at Ikea (online because I can’t stand walking into that place!) that were perfect.

It is quite an eclectic array and a nice reminder of all the great places we have been, all the amazing memories we have created, and all the new friends we have found.  But it is also a great reminder of how fortunate we are to be able to undertake this travel.

But apparently that’s not all I collect. I was digging through my riding gear today looking for something and started pulling out necksocks. A lot of them.  More than I remembered having.

It turns out that I’ve got a bit of a collection of those as well.  Some are very boring plain (ish) ones, but other have places and stories attached to them.  And everytime I slide them over my head I remember being at Ulurau, or Moab, the many Swiss passes, or riding the in the Pyrenees  – here are favourites

Being moved at Uluru

Hiring a F800GT in Spain

Checking out chainmail

Seattle’s First Nation peoples

Here moosey moosey…

Moab – Awe inspiring

Austria’s ski fields

Riding with Swiss friends

Wow what a road!

So what do you collect?