<p>My son will be visiting family in another country for three weeks. I’ve asked if there is anything they want from the US, but there doesn’t seem to be. What would be a good gift that doesn’t weigh much (he has one duffle bag), isn’t breakable and would be appreciated?</p>
<p>When my D spent a summer abroad with a host family, she took a few things:
- A small photo album showing her with family and around our town with a few key things (home, school, local landmark, etc.). She could tell them about where she was from, and left it with them when she went home. She also took a small book about the area we are from, since they had never traveled to the US.
- She took a couple of food items she knew they do not have or commonly eat where she was going. The biggest hit was marshmallows (she went camping the first week she was there with a scout troop and they toasted them… this is a place where they really only toast sausages over a fire normally and marshmallows are not sold, so they were a big hit). She also took some wild rice (a local food for us).</p>
<p>If you tell us what country he is going to and what part of the country you are from here, that might generate some more specific suggestions.</p>
<p>Maple syrup
Something American for a house gift – e.g., Ralph Lauren tablecloth, napkins</p>
<p>Something local</p>
<p>Our son took 4 oz little jugs of maple syrup. They were a big hit.</p>
<p>I will have to third the maple syrup. Also popular… from those of us in the south west,a local brand of BBQ sauce, or a selection of locally produced hot sauces.</p>
<p>Maple syrup only works if your son is checking a bag. And bear in mind that many people who don’t grow up with maple syrup find it very strange and overly sweet. My preferred hostess gifts are the kinds of things that one needs, uses, wears out, rarely buys for oneself, and that are very easy and light to pack–things like tea towels or oven mitts.</p>
<p>A small, lightweight (if possible) coffee table-type book depicting local or American flora/fauna, etc?? I took a book about local perennials to our host family in Japan many years ago and they enjoyed it very much. Or, local crafts, perhaps. My friend from vermont always gives local basketry in such situations–Shaker, I believe. My sister, who lives in Texas, loves to give local, shelled pecans. Sending syrup and barbecue sauce would scare me, if it were my son! One never knows how luggage will be treated on international flights.</p>
<p>D brought a small (and light) book featuring pictures of our town & state. On the food front, the surprise popular item turned out to be a packet of brownie mix, along with directions translated to weights and centigrade oven temps. The smell of those baking brought in the entire family to see what that great smell was.</p>
<p>My son says the (lightweight) windchimes he took to his Italian hosts were well received. They were from the Hershey Gardens (nearby), so they had local color, too.</p>
<p>Is he visiting family members or being hosted by a family? If these are relatives, what about a photo of your family in a nice frame? Personal, available at any price point, small enough to carry, and can be packed so that it won’t break. If they are a host family, you can use a photo of your part of the country or something like that.</p>
<p>He is staying with family. They have an apartment in Paris and my cousin has dual citizenship and has spent a lot of time in the US, particularly New York, over her lifetime. So the US is not a very big mystery to her although CA is more of one. I don’t want to send liquids because they are heavy and the possibility of breakage. I like the idea of a photo and I wonder if there is time now to get an copy made of a photo of our grandmothers and framed as well as maybe a photo of our family. We recently had graduations so that is possible.</p>
<p>The photo idea seems excellent.
Since this gift is for a female, a silk scarf (or a silk-like fabric) or any light weight fabric scarf would be appreciated by most females. Certainly won’t add any weight to your son’s luggage.</p>
<p>You can also add a box of See’s candies. My children often bring them to friends in NY.</p>
<p>If the family has boys, UCLA baseball caps may be an idea. The French have this thing on UCLA, even though they don’t really know what it is and pronounce it as a word “oooclahh.”
This gets political, but a French family recently asked me for a kids’ sized Obama T-shirt.
Otherwise, I’ve always sent typically American foodstuffs (Pez candy, Jelly belly jelly beans, chocolate covered cranberries, teas from Republic of Tea, Peppridge Farm cookies, small thing of Kona coffee from Peetes, etc.) </p>
<p>Another idea: something small but pretty from Tiffany. They do carry key chains, etc. And few things are as American and as iconic as those pretty blue boxes.</p>
<p>The UCLA cap might be great for her husband!</p>