We all have a friend who spends way too much time clicking through photos from their last vacation or doling out souvenirs with perfectly tanned hands. As much as COVID-19 has exacerbated and brought to light extreme social disparities, it has been a bit of a travel equalizer. No one's going anywhere anytime soon, and if you have a friend who's had to block Expedia from their computer to keep them from melancholy, you might be wondering what to get them that could possibly compare to them getting to go somewhere — anywhere — else. To satiate the globetrotter in your life, here are a handful of ideas, ranging from the earnest to the borderline passive-aggressive.
CUSTOM PRINTED MUG
If this world traveler has been in your life for long, you're familiar with the coffee mug souvenir. Printed with a generic logo from whatever paradise your friend visited without you, these mugs invariably conjure up vague resentment every time you drink from them in your alley-facing apartment. Guess what? A local printing shop in the Valley will put any image on a mug. For instance... your face photoshopped in front of the Eiffel Tower. $21 • Anderson Ink • 14700 E. Indiana Ave. #2088 • andersonink2.com
KOREAN HOME COOKING
There's never been a better time to pick up some international cooking skills. Just because your friend is stuck at home doesn't mean that they need to eat like it. Korean Home Cooking by Sohui Kim will give them a great place to start. Plus, they might need a taste tester. $35 • Auntie's Bookstore • 402 W. Main Ave. • auntiesbooks.com
MAC HOLIDAY VIRTUAL ARTIST STUDIO TOUR
Sometimes it doesn't take much to shake off that stuck feeling we've all grown accustomed to during quarantine. If your traveling buddy is a fan of visual art, consider gifting them tickets to virtually tour a local artist's studio. Featured artists include National Geographic's Hazen Audel and pastel and oil painter Sheila Evans. $10 • Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture • northwestmuseum.org
SPO VINTAGE TEE
Call it reverse psychology (especially if you're talking to someone who doesn't know much about psychology), but there's something therapeutic about just... accepting where you are. So your friend couldn't go to Hawaii this year. That doesn't mean that she doesn't still need a shirt with the name of a place on it! $44 • From Here • 808 W. Main Ave. #251 • fromherespokane.com ♦
