Are you into collecting Starbucks mugs like I am? Ever since I started traveling internationally, I’ve kinda fallen in love with grabbing Starbucks mugs from different places. I guess I hopped on the bandwagon of that whole mug collection craze back then. They’re like little keepsakes from all the cool spots I’ve been to.
My entry ticket into the Starbucks mug world happened during our first Euro trip. Honestly, back then, I wasn’t even actively thinking about getting mugs. I was all about grabbing those souvenir tees, cool keychains, and those trusty fridge magnets – the usual travel keepsakes. But as the count of mugs I snagged (or got as presents) started piling up, I had this little moment where I thought, “You know what, this could be the start of something pretty cool collection.”
Since then, as soon as I touch down in a new city, my radar is all about spotting the nearest Starbucks café. And if I can’t really go exploring, I’m crossing my fingers that there’s at least one cozy Starbucks corner at the airport where I can swoop in and grab that much-coveted city mug. It’s like a little quest I embark on every time I land.
Pretty soon, our place is going to start looking like a Starbucks mug wonderland. It’s funny, I’ve actually been holding onto these city mugs, and You Are Here edition mugs for a good while. The thing is, we’re just renting our flat in Doha, and shifting from one unit to another is quite a common thing. So I’ve been a bit protective of my collection. I mean, who wants these beauties to lose their shine or risk getting chipped, or worst broken, right?
But let me tell you, I’ve got a dream – a big one. One day, when we’ve got our own spot, I’m going all out with a shelf or a cabinet just for my mug collection. I want those mugs out there in all their glory, showing off the memories of my travels and adding aesthetic value to our place. It’s like my collection’s been in hibernation, waiting for the perfect moment to shine.
Finally, on our recent vacation to the Philippines last June, I managed to reunite with my cherished mug collection. This time around, I discovered the ideal spot in our condo unit and made a special request to our interior designer to set aside a little corner just for them. Now, here’s the kicker: I may have slightly overestimated the sheer number of mugs I’ve amassed. Honestly, I’ve lost track – it’s gotten to be that extensive. To make a long story short, the shelf I eagerly designated for my mugs turned out to be a little more spacious than I anticipated. It’s almost comical – my mugs only ended up filling about half of the space I had prepared.
As I gaze at this collection, it’s like a slideshow of all those fantastic memories from our journeys that flash before me. Every time I see the mugs I got as gifts, I can picture the faces of the people who handed them to me.
The mugs I received as presents and those empty holes in the shelf do more than just remind me of my desire to visit the places I haven’t explored yet. It’s like each of one them holds a little piece of that place, and whispering, “Hey, you’ve got to check out where I come from!” It’s like my very own travel bucket list, right there on my shelf.
As I savor my morning coffee and pen down this article, I am sending out a little wish for a bunch more mugs to add to my collection.
Cheers to caffeinated dreams and a growing mug collection!
P.S. Shout-out to I’m Home Manila for the wonderful Starbucks mug shelf. Click the link to know more about I’m Home Manila.
