Hey moms! I really need to pick your brains a bit, I hope you have some neat ideas because I don't! I have a friend whose birthday is coming up Oct 15th and she lives in the Czech Republic. I want to send her a birthday package, but in order for it to get there by her birthday I need to send it pretty soon. I have no idea what to send! Here is a little back info on my relationship with her. We met 12 years ago in high school, she was an exchange student for 1 year. My best friend and I brought her into our little group and the three of us were inseparable that year. We kept in touch for a couple years after she went home and then we lost contact. Recently we were lucky enough to reconnect. She says the time she spent in America with my friend and I was the best time of her life. What sort of American things can I send her that would remind her of her time here? She already has all the pictures that I do from when she was here, we made her a scrapbook before she left... so that won't work. For the life of me I can't remember any of her favorite things. Anyways, any ideas you ladies have I would appreciate! Thanks!
Chips and Salsa if ya'll went to school in Texas. I sent Chip and Salsa to my BIL when he was in Iraq. It was a big hit with him and his buddies. Reese's Pieces, Lammes' chocolates with pecans and caramel! People magazines, an American cookbook....so she can learn to make her own favorites? If you know her jeans size, go to Goodwill and buy her a pair of Levi's. Just a suggestion...
I was thinking food treats too. I think that candy might melt on the way. I remember mailing some things home from Amsterdam and it took like 2 months to get there. Chips and salsa sounds like a good idea. I just visited a friend in Canada and he begged for Tony Chateras seasoning. I can't remember having any good food when i was in the Czech Republic a few years back!
I was going to say the same thing about food! :) I lived in Russia for 11 years and there were certain things that I just missed about America. My mother-in-law was just visiting from Russia and things that she was asking about taking back were like brownie mix (that was a big one), ranch dressing mix (like the Hidden Valley Ranch packets). When I was away I always LOVED when someone would send me a book (some kind of new release) or American magazines. Just stuff that would connect me to home (like US or People, Oprah).
Hope that helps some. OH, and Reeses Peanut butter cups were always a big favorite of all my Russian friends. They don't have a lot of candy with peanut butter over there. :)
Before I read the other responses, I was thinking the same things as they responded. If y'all went to school in Texas, send her some tasty Texas treats such as chips and salsa, candy, seasonings, etc. Were there any special recipes that you made while she lived here? Send her the recipes for those or other things you have learned to make over the years.
There are some great books on strictly Texas stuff. You might send her some of those. The best place to find such books is at a gift shop in tourist destination. We went to Natural Bridge Caverns this summer and they had some wonderful coffee table books on Texas. Plus they had some about "Texas language", outlaws of Texas, unusual places in Texas, etc.
How about books? It sounds as though her English is great, so she might well enjoy reading some of the current books that would be hard to find there. Whatever you enjoy should be good. Good old Levis are expensive and hard to find in Europe. Peanut butter is a gourmet price in Europe also, and might be fun to tuck in. Have fun with this! What a good friend you're being.
American food is so much different. I'd say raid the grocery store's candy aisle. Our sodas are different too, but that's pricey to mail since it's so heavy.
Old Navy might still have some of their 4th of July shirts for $5.
James Avery jewelry is very American. I think they may be in Texas only.
I lived in England when I was in Middle School. I was a big candy-goer, so that's why I said that. Some friends came to visit us from England just last week and brought us our favorite british candies and it was such a treat! Granted, you have to know what is 'different.' One package of candy they gave us was the same thing we have here (M&Ms, Milky Way) and one package was different (Flake bars, Aero bars). So in England they have Mars brand and Cadbury brand. They may or may not have Hershey's and Neslte's. Who KNOWS what they have in Czech Republic.
Is there not a way to just call her and casually start a conversation about what she misses about America?
If you had movies that you saw together, music that you played over and over those might be something that she would like to have even part of a new set of the same kind of clothes that were worn at that time.
