A Hands-On Traveler
Travel has always been important to me. As a former high school teacher, the spring breaks and summer months allowed me to recharge by discovering parts of the globe I read and dreamt about during the year. While the usual tourist sights and sensations were certainly alluring and though my birding pursuits led me deep into nature, I also found myself drawn to indigenous markets, tucked away city shops, riverside trading posts, remote mountain villages... in quest of vintage, traditional and handmade treasures. And these treasures told fascinating stories of indigenous craft traditions through their colors, textures, designs and history! Smitten, I came home not only with my suitcases filled but with happy memories of new friendships and high adventures. Many of those finds are here on Etsy, along with quality items carefully chosen from my own personal collections.
Over the years, I have come to believe that buying handcrafted and vintage items is the preferred way to shop. With a glut of fine merchandise in our closets, trunks and attics, it seems to make sense to pass these things along or to reuse and redesign them. The talented hands of women around the world have worked through ingenious ways of doing this and, thankfully, Etsy allows sellers to highlight this resourcefulness.