Gifts for my Nordic Friends

I have two ideas for you:

1) I usually bring something reflective of where I live, and since I see that you are in Vancouver, this may work for you as well. I bring a hand-blownChristmas ornament made from Mt. St. Helen's glass. Not too big and so far they have traveled well in my carry on.

2) Another thought on the local flair is this. I get 4x6 prints made of beautiful local scenery shot from my iPhone and attach them to blank folded card stock to be used as note cards. I have the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood, Multnomah Falls and Oregon wine country so far. These will travel well as well, and won't take up any room in luggage.

Hi Sister Neighbor Patricia,
I LOVE your ideas! Especially the Mt. St. Helen's glass items. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide them. One item that occurred to me was locally produced music on cds. Thank you!

Local (to WA/OR) wine would be popular with Norwegians. Legacy air carriers generally allow you one checked bag without charge. Wrap bottle(s) in bubble wrap and cardboard box and surround with clothing.

Some ideas presented that I think are great. I too try and get items from my local area or something from the U.S. that's unique. I have taken Sea's candy. Also, my Swedish relatives like Starbucks coffee, so I've taken some of that too.

Thank you for the ideas. I love them all!

Hello! New here...

Whenever I bring anything I try to make sure that either i) they can use it, or ii) they can display it. Eatable treats are always lovely, but once they're done, they're... done. Gone. Poof. Unless there's a constant supply like with relatives that you know will bring you more, or unless it comes with another treat that is non-edible or that you can keep (a mug-and-tea kit where you can keep the special decorated mug) I would personally give them something they can repeatedly enjoy.

The postcards are a nice choice, they can frame them and hang them somewhere. The wine is also a nice choice as they can keep the bottle afterward, and some candies' wrappers/containers can also be kept (carefully so as to prevent bugs/mold). The glass ornaments are also a great choice, as they can be displayed seasonally.

If you want to, you can also give them custom specialty keychains (which take up even less space in your pack as you can put them on your pack), which they can carry with them year-round and everywhere. They may find such things not only useful, but beautiful as well. They make gorgeous enameled and blown-glass and even solid steel engraved metal ones in Vermont, where I grew up. Some might find this kind of kitschy, lame and more collector-y but for practical travel purposes, they can hide in plain sight and not take up any room to get past security... they can't count as 'carry on luggage' if they're not part of your luggage but part of your outfit or something. For entertainment purposes, you can get quite a few cute keychains locally that reflect the spirit of your area. For usefulness and 'treasurability', who wouldn't like to receive a cool keychain, something that anyone who has keys needs and would use every day?

Of course, you're talking to the girl who, as soon as she could, bought candy on most school field trips. I do still have a few of the more interesting keepsakes, like rocks or keychains or pencils... I thought they were cool. But don't send just candy, because as much as people might appreciate it, send something more than just candy.

Trust me.

Thank you for taking the time to respond, Mischa_jef. I am honored to be your first post. Keep it up! Mugs and keychains are a great idea for gifting. While I like the idea of wine, we are minimalist packing devotees and it will take too much room. Plus, we have many weeks during which we would have to haul it. I might tuck in some special candy bars, though. I settled on some music cds by local performers as the people I'm visiting are musicians.

Do you know the individuals well? You might ask them. Traditional gifts when you are going to someone's house for dinner would be flowers or chocolate. Wine or liquor (expensive in Sweden) are also good gifts. While I've only been to a dozen or so Swedish homes, most of my friends have apartments that are free of knick knacks and clutter. When I've brought gifts, I've stuck to consumables or something I particularly know my friends would like.

Good advice, Laura. Tack!