RHYS BOWEN: If you've been reading my posts you'll know that I love to travel. But I don't love to travel alone. I need someone to keep me company. When I see something breathtaking I want to say "Look at that!" and I want to share amazing meals and have someone to commiserate with if it's pouring with rain or the hotel is terrible. I'm an extrovert. If I'm alone in New York on business for three days, by the third day I'm chatting with every store clerk and waiter.
Having said that I do make sure that I have one travel buddy with me all the time. He is totally non-judgmental and delights in everything we do. For many years this buddy was a small fat bird my daughter gave me. I called him Hubyrd and he came with me on every trip. 
I got strange looks when I placed him on Queen Victoria's head in Malta but I had to document that he had been to every place with me.
(See him on the wall?)
Alas, I lost Hybyrd. I know he is in my house somewhere. I've turned my bedroom upside down and can't find him. Is he behind a big chest of drawers? Inside an old suitcase? I wish I knew because I miss him.
I tried taking my tiny bears, Sophie and Alexander, but they did not enjoy the travel and got air sick in my
suitcase. 
However last Christmas my same daughter put this in my stocking. He is clearly a traveling mouse, dressed ready for adventure. I've named him Hector and he's waiting to go off with my on my next travels. I'll keep you posted.
Do you have anything, anyone, that you have to take when you travel? (And am I quite sane, do you think? Do normal people take favorite animals with them?
What fun! I don't have a travel buddy, but after meeting Hubyrd and Hector, I think I need to get one . . . .
ReplyDeleteI heard that famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead, had a little perfume bottle (I think) that she took with her when she traveled. When she set it on a dresser at a hotel it made the room feel like home.
DeleteHector is perfect! I had a little knitted corpse name Wyan Cision, but alas, he fell behind the desk in one hotel and I didn't notice until I got home hours later. I think I need a replacement.
ReplyDeleteI do have a little UC Irvine anteater. Maybe Zotster needs to start traveling with me.
Delete(MY BA is from UCI.)
DeleteMy daughter did hers at UCI!
DeleteYES, I did bring a travel companion with me on many business trips. In 1997, one Environment Canada work colleague gave me a Beanie Baby stuffed giraffe named TWIGS. Our research group was about climate change adaptation & its founding director had decreed the 🦒 was our mascot. A bit weird since giraffes are not endemic to Canada but...we went with it.
ReplyDeleteSo TWIGS accompanied me on my many solo work trips, mostly outside of Canada.
I have photos of TWIGS at the Space Needle in Seattle, Tianamen Square in Beijing, the mountains in Davos, Switzerland, a beer hall in Bonn, Germany and at the bleak grey campus of University of East Anglia in Norwich, England!
TWIGS retired a few years before me...the 20+ year old stuffy was showing his age.
But as mentioned before, he is enjoying retired life with his sea otter buddy, MONTY from Monterey Aquarium!
I think you need to replace Twigs since you are still traveling, Grace!
DeleteTrue, I have been travelling and will be doing more travels this year, including this week to the first Montreal mystery festival. But I don't seem to need a travel buddy when I am travelling for fun. TWIGS was a nice companion when I was traveling far from home on my own. Other people, including housekeeping staff, had fun with TWIGS. I remember one time when TWIGS was wrapped up in a luxurious towel with free chocolate & wine in my hotel room!
DeleteIt's sweet. I like your stories (Rhys, and Edith and Grace) of travel buddies. I have never had one but it makes perfect sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a stuffed animal travel buddy, but it sounds like a fun idea. Love the names you picked, all of you.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have a stuffie (as my granddaughter calls them) that travels with me but I always take my special pillow which I call my “softie.” Things that give us comfort are not to be laughed at!
ReplyDeleteI take a small pillow too! Sometimes hotel pillows are hard and too fat
DeleteI didn't think anyone else took a favorite soft pillow, but my husband does! I'll have to tell him he's in good company.
DeleteMy mother always traveled with her own pillow…even when she took her first airplane flight in 1971 (non-stop) from one of the New York airports to Anchorage. She figured that way if she hated flying she had at least gotten to my home (at the time). ;) Elisabeth
DeleteMy first publishing job was with Springer-Verlag. I had a smallish white bear with a red knitted vest, given to me by my bookstore staff as a going away present, named Springer-Bearkat. He traveled all over the Northeast and eastern Canada with me. When he retired I had a beanies baby Guinea pig given me by my goddaughter. She continued traveling with my in my car, where she still resides. Having the travel buddies is good. Although they weren’t very helpful when ai was writing reports. 😊
ReplyDeleteI agree, they aren’t much help except to listen when we complain
DeletePaula Here: So, no buddy for the long travels but I do have a car critter. He’s the cutest little stuffed dog that lives in the pouch thing on the driver’s door. He’s always keeping an eye on the situation.
ReplyDeleteI have a three-inch blue VW bug (old-style) that keeps me company in the car!
DeleteMoments of comfort and whimsy are not to be laughed at! I love your traveling companions, Rhys and all! I had a little bear named GaryBear, but alas, GB has had to be retired.
ReplyDeleteFrom Diana: Love all of the comments above. Love to travel and it is always wonderful to have a travel buddy. Never thought about bringing a stuffed animal with me. I agree with Flora that moments of comfort and whimsey are not to be laughed at. And love the names, Rhys. The name Hector reminds me of the father in Monach of the Glen series on the Telly.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos and yes, I found Hector on the wall once I expanded the photo.
Oh I loved Monarch of the Glenn series Diana! And another one I liked was Rosemary & Thyme.
DeleteMy travel buddy for several years was Charles Huckabee, aka Chuck-A-Huck. He was actually my brother-in-law's favorite baseball cap. He was light blue and had a hummingbird and the word Montana on his face. My brother-in-law (Rich) called it his "huckleberry hat", thus the name. My family had a silly game of hiding Chuck from Rich whenever we could, so Chuck came to stay with me for awhile.We created a FB page for Chuck, and Chuck became quite the traveler. He was somewhat naughty and quite the ladies' man.and traveled with other friends of mine as well. I believe he is still around, but Rich hid him and doesn't remember where.
ReplyDeleteI love this story and what a fun family you have. This is the sort of thing we do
DeleteI do not have a travel buddy but you have me wishing I did, Rhys. How to make anywhere feel a little like home.
ReplyDeleteI have not taken a little travel buddy with me. Now I am considering what object that might be for future trips. My friend took her little grandkids’ Paw Patrol figures with her and sent them pictures all during their trip a few times. I’ve seen photos posted by Wade Rouse (Viola Shipman) of Barbie in various outfits on his travels.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never had such a travel companion on a regular basis. However, when my niece was little she had several dozen stuffed animals, and she would sometimes give me one to take home. Just temporarily. It could be difficult to travel with one of them (it was usually Lucky, and he was a badly behaving Black Lab), because I take Amtrak to and from my visits to them, and I like to travel lightly. She sent him home with me on numerous occasions because Lucky was always getting into trouble. I told her that I thought I could train Lucky. I sent her numerous photos of Lucky getting into trouble at my condo, and in various places around my town. One year he came to the church picnic with me, and charmed everyone there into believing he was cuddly. I knew the truth, though. Eventually he settled down, and I was able to return him to her, repentant and eager to help train any of her other stuffed animals who were badly misbehaving.
ReplyDeleteDebRo
Did you write the book about him, Deb?
DeleteDebs I love Lucky! He sounds like one cool travel companion. Woof!
DeleteRhys, I was tempted to write a book about him!
DeleteDebRo
What a wonderful aunt. Glad you were able to train Lucky. Elisabeth
DeleteI love your travel buddies, Rhys! I don’t travel much so my only travel buddy is a beanie-sized Husky that’s been in my car for years. I do have a Standard Poodle service dog and he’s much more fun. His name is Ellery Queen and he loves riding in the car.
ReplyDeletePoodles are such good company. Our daughter has a labradoodle who is such fun
ReplyDeleteWell of course... In my car I have a little panda bear who wears an anti-racism button and has settled into the passenger side door pocket. He's been with me through four Civics, so at least 25 years.
ReplyDeleteMy newer buddy is a tiny moose, who balances in the inset of the dashboard.
How adorable. I've never traveled that way, but I can see the attraction!
ReplyDeleteI can’t travel much any more, but I did take the Ugly Baby on my first trip to Paris and document her trip. It was fun and funny!
ReplyDeleteJust like I grab an extra book for the road, I grab a bear before I hit the road to anywhere out of town. It's usually Darrell, who is a heavy bottom bear that sits in my passenger seat, guarding my purse and sorting my CDs. Actually, his sorting skills need some help, he often puts the just finished CD in case of the new one that is playing.
ReplyDeleteDarrell the heavy bottomed bear. How perfect!
DeleteWe were at my husband's Naval Reserve station at the Naval War College in Newport, RI when our youngest daughter's stuffy Pole-y (for Polar Bear) fell into the water. Our eldest daughter heard her scream and start to cry so she jumped into the water to safe Pole-y. Whew! and he's still around (somewhere) and he's now in his early 40's.
ReplyDeleteAnon, what great kids you have. Pole-y has had a rich life. Elisabeth
DeleteRhys maybe Hubyrd could be coaxed out of hiding if you promise him a trip to his favorite city?
ReplyDeleteI’ve tried!
DeleteWhen I travel alone, I confess that my best travel companion is my Kindle full of newly bought books that I can't wait to read.
ReplyDeleteI don’t travel much any more, just locally.
ReplyDeleteI never took a traveling companion going on trips, but I almost alway found a bear to bring back.
They always insisted on coming home with me and I was happy to oblige. Only one of them is made out of soft material and they are all hand made.
I have a couple from Denmark, one glass, the other wood. A wooden one from Finland. Two from Russia who were in a small store waiting for me on top of a cash register. Another wooden one in Switzerland. A couple of jade and one quartz bear from Vancouver. In this country, a pottery storytelling bear with her arms around the cubs, this along with several others came from New Mexico. A couple from Alaska and a small cowboy bear from San Antonio which could have qualified as a companion since he is soft and small and I think would have been happy to go with me if I had thought of it. He has a lasso which might have even come in handy during the trips.
Along with some others I have received as gifts, they are all displayed together and have a lot of opportunities to talk to each other about their countries. Of course, the storytelling always has something to pass on to the others.
Never thought of naming any of them, but maybe I should.
I have never had a stuffed traveling companion.
ReplyDeleteHowever, on our recent trip to New Orleans, we had a stick as our companion and as a house guest for a week or so. Yes, a stick (known as Mr. Stick or Sticky to his friends). Our friend tells us that he has bought a six foot walking stick from a homeless man he met. Our friend, however, is continuing to travel to two other cities after our New Orleans visit and can my husband get Mr. S home for him. My husband takes on the challenge and explains the situation to the skycap who, after conferring with a supervisor, “tags” Mr. Stick and puts him on the conveyor belt to the baggage loading area. (Yes, I got video!) Mr. S arrives safely with us and settles in nicely at our home, napping with our dog on the couch, sleeping in our bed with his CPAP machine and, finally, reading “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” in a comfortable chair. Eventually Mr. Stick was reunited with his new family. ;-)
(Yes, Rhys, I think you’re quite sane. Not so sure about my husband and I, however!) — Pat S
Mr Stick/ Sticky sound quite sane to
DeleteMe!
I took a small stuffed bear named Ruv-- my only traveling companion-- with me through Europe in 1969. Now I'm trying to figure out how to take my real dog with me to CA. The problem is there are no direct flights anymore.
ReplyDeleteRed Bear (a Beanie Baby my grandson gave me when he was 2) and Artie the Arctic Fox (he was in a McD’s Happy Meal). I document their adventures for the grandson and his sister. They love seeing pictures of their adventures.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely charming, Rhys! And when Hubyrd shows up Hector will have a travel buddy!
ReplyDeleteSo adorable, Rhys! I want a Hector!
ReplyDelete