In the past few years I have had the privilege of traveling to over thirty countries for my work. Many people tell me that I have a dream job, and I'd have to agree. When I was a little kid, no one told me that there were jobs available that you got to travel the world and write about the things you saw and experienced for other people to read. If they had told me, I would have known my career goal all along. I would have been the only elementary school kid who knew without a doubt that he wanted to be a traveling journalist. A highlight of my travels has been collecting a bowl or two at each place I've visited.

I've always loved bowls and pottery. I guess it started because my father was a professional potter and so he was always at the wheel throwing pots and bowls and other things. I loved coming home from school and spending hours just watching my father work on his wheel. I like every kind of pottery he made, but nothing could excite me as much as a great bowl.

So when I began traveling it was only natural that I would collect a bowl or two in each place I saw. I wanted to collect bowls because I knew they were something that I liked and that I could put to good use every day. I hate getting souveniers that I cannot put to good use. When I landed in England, the first country I visited, I was amazed by how many bowls there were to choose from. I knew it was going to be harder than I thought to narrow things down to no more than two bowls per country.

I now have nearly sixty bowls from all around the world. I have bowls from every continent. Some were made in front of me by a local potter, others I bought from large warehouses that sold bowls at discount. I have two large shelves in my home where bowl after bowl sits waiting for use. I am constantly rotating the bowls I use for cereal and salads and other things.

If you are about to venture out into the world for traveling, I suggest that you pick a great souvenier idea ahead of time. For me, purchasing a bowl or two has done the trick. See if it might work for you too.