Do your "friends" ask for souvenirs?

[vijoge]

Everytime we go on vacation, cruising or otherwise, our co-worker's always ask us to "bring me back something". For the life of me I can't understand why someone would want a souvenir from MY vacation or why they think I have either the time or the interest (not to mention expense) to shop for a gift for everyone in the office.

 

Not looking for advice-just wondering if this is happening to others.

[madelinerose]

Nope, never.

[ladycaveat]

Nope . . . no one in my office has ever asked me to bring them anything back from any of my vacations. But . . . I always do. I get a kick out of shopping for some little something for each and every one of my co-workers. They enjoy getting it and I have a have fun shopping for whatever. It doesn't have to be anything expensive . . . a keychain, a pen or little tote bags (as I got last month on my cruise to the Mexican Riviera). They seem to appreciate it and I have fun shopping for them.

[Sheffie]

One lady asked me to bring her back some sand from a beautiful beach. My grandchildren have asked for seashells. Of course they got what they asked for!

[ger_77]

People on my staff don't ask for souvenirs, but I think some of them would like to. I work on a large teaching staff (we have 45 at our school), so it would be difficult to bring something back for each one. The space it would take in the suitcases would be enormous and besides, the weight of everything would mean I'd have to throw out some shoes ... no way!

 

What I usually do the day before I return to school is run into a specialty chocolate shop and get an entire assortment of goodies for everyone to share at coffee or lunch. It doesn't matter that it doesn't come from exotic places, the fact that I thought of them with the chocolates is enough to keep them happy.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[suezyq50]

I have had people ask for a shot glass. I have had my kids say, No T-shirt!

[misty57]

I have never had anyone ask for a souvnier. It is difficult to find something for everyone- and expensive. I have brought back rum cake for the staff at work. My kids don't really like T shirts unless they are from a popular restaurant ( and not Hard Rock Cafe). I started bringing back beach towels for my daughters, but now that they are all grown,they will probably like the rum cake as well! Do the people that ask you to bring them something also bring you something? Just curious.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I would be as surprised if my friends or coworkers asked me to bring them something from my vacation as they would be if I asked them to bring me something from theirs! How old are these people? Their mamas didn't raise them very well! ;)

 

Like you, I can't imagine why someone else would want a souvenir from my vacation! :confused:

 

Cheers!

Jayne

[silverfoxcruiser]

Only those who are ill-bred -- and they're easy to ignore!! Silver:rolleyes:

[Empress Bubbles]

Yes, this happens to me before almost every trip! I have to admit that my husband and I do take the best trips of the office, but I still find it annoying. As for the "ill-bred" comment...well, I was brought up too well to state my true feelings

[pg.]

No one has ever seriuosly asked, of course they may joke about me sticking them in my suitcase etc, but, never ask for anything.

 

Frankly I would consider it rude.

[carlmm]

In our family it is considered common courtesy to bring something from every vacation. Of course these are gifts which are not just junk with the places name but which can be used or consumed by the recipient like table cloth or the local wine.

I would be surprised of co-workers asking unless they are friends, too. Just recently a friend asked me to bring something for her from a place she dreams of to travel to. In this case her sharing her dreams and my thinking of her are part of a real friendship, IMHO.

[Spikesgirl]

Being (prematurely and unenthusiastically) retired, I'm not worried about co workers, but I always bring something back for our friends. It lets them know we were thinking of them while we were gone and I love looking for local crafts.

 

Charlie

[vmom]

We never bring back souvenirs for anyone other than the person or people who are driving us to the airport and our own children.

 

If someone else asked me for a souvenir then I think I would take a picture of myself and my husband in front of a good tropical background, make copies and pass them out to those asking for a souvenir, stating the the best way to remember a vacation is through pictures. I'll bet they won't be so bold next time unless they truly are good friends that would value a picture of you having fun.

[GORDONCHICK]

I have a friend who collects shot glasses, and she only requests ones from the places she hasn't been, and she gives me money to buy them. I went on a 12 day, and she gave me $50 and said bring back as many as you can for that! We weren't flying, so weight wasn't an issue.

 

A guy I work with asked for Appleton Rum and gave me money for it. We don't drink so it had no effect on our alcohol limit.

 

A really close friend collect thimbles, and I try to pick up a couple of cool ones for her when I think if it. They are usually "thank yous" for when she invites me to stay with her when I spend the night when I go to NASCAR races not far from where she lives. I would give them to her just because, also.

[Cotton]

The only people who have asked for something were those who have cruised before and saw something in the gift shop that they would like another of...things like that.

 

I always bring a few things back for special friends, but just little things. The box of four mini-rum cakes is a big hit, as well as the boxes of sea shell shaped chocolates.:)

[bankerbabe]

On our last cruise in Mexico, my mother in law gave me a list of things she wanted. Her list included jewelry and various medications from the pharmacies. I would have brought her something from our trip anyway, since she was watching our kids, but to give us a list seemed a little presumptuous. But then, that's my MIL.

[jjinx]

One of my husband's friends INSISTS that we bring her a tee shirt from wherever we are going. At least they're cheap and light-weight! ;)

[cjnky]

One of our kids is ALWAYS giving us something, but NEVER asking for anything. For our AK trip, they've requested a t-shirt from the "furthest north Harley shop" and they will get it! ;) And this thread reminded me of a dear friend who is ALWAYS bringing me gifts for one reason or another - note made to be sure and find her something special! :)

[Corner Exit]

I collect back scratchers from different places, but I never dreamed of asking friends and family to take time out of their vacation to buy stuff for me.

[eyzwdeshut]

it's tradition in my family to bring something back if we go to a new place. I might ask a friend to get an inexpensive snow globe to add to my collection. Most of the time, I just bring things back for people b/c I enjoy it.

[Cuizer2]

Everytime we go on vacation, cruising or otherwise, our co-worker's always ask us to "bring me back something". For the life of me I can't understand why someone would want a souvenir from MY vacation or why they think I have either the time or the interest (not to mention expense) to shop for a gift for everyone in the office.

 

Not looking for advice-just wondering if this is happening to others.

 

 

Are you sure they are not just joking with you?

 

This goes on in our office. Let me explain how it happened. A co-worker got in a very heated phone conversation with someone just before a cruise. So I ordered a gift for him (wine and cheese). It was a total surprise for him. To say thank you he brought me back a ship hat. So when I went I brought him back a ship coffee mug. Then he brought me a ship shirt. So I brought him a ship shirt. Someone else said he liked the shirts. So next time I brought two ship shirts. The second person offered to pay me for the shirt (since he didn't expect me to actually do it - he was joking, which I knew, but we are all good buddies in the office), however, I refused the offer. Someone else in the office likes the shirts to, so I think next time I'll bring back three shirts.

 

I have asked people to bring something back, but I was joking and they knew it. If someone asked me to bring something back, I would laugh it off as though I thought it was a joke (since that is how I would take it). I don't know how I would react to someone who was serious if that person was just someone I would classify as a co-worker. For a friend, yes I would do it.

[I Luv Crusin]

Everytime we go on vacation, cruising or otherwise, our co-worker's always ask us to "bring me back something". For the life of me I can't understand why someone would want a souvenir from MY vacation or why they think I have either the time or the interest (not to mention expense) to shop for a gift for everyone in the office.

 

Not looking for advice-just wondering if this is happening to others.

 

I think that they are just envious of YOUR vacation and it's a way to "share" it with you.

[NavySis]

My friends and family don't ask for gifts, but I bring my family something back. They take me to the airport and look after my cat for me, so I think it is nice to bring them something back. I really don't mind getting gifts for them because they do so much for me. The only person who asks for something is my 4 year old niece. Last time I came back from my cruise one of the first things she said to me was where's my gift. When I told her I was going on another cruise she said she wanted 2 things, but I told her I would see about getting one. She is just so cute I can't help spoiling her. :)

 

NavySis

[mousetravel]

I always bring back a small souvenir for my neighbor. She collects my mail and newspapers, so I always bring her back something. She doen't ask for it, but I figured it's the least I could do as a token of appreciation.