Growing up in Northern California, the odds of getting snow are slim. One morning in May of 1980, as a high school senior excited about graduation in June, I awoke to what I thought was an early graduation present from the "GODS". SNOW! Or what I thought was snow. Come to find out, Mount St. Helens located in the state of Washington had erupted. Intrigued by the ash that had landed as a result of that eruption, I gathered a small amount of it and tucked it away with many other items that I had collected over the years. In the beginning, I planned on just keeping that small jar tucked away for whatever reason. Now, nearly 30 years later, I am glad that I didn't stop there. I have always had a love of things different. Some people collect spoons, thimbles, coins, stamps, whatever. Me? I collect dirt. I have collected a lot of dirt over the years. Helping me with my collection are friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, and even total strangers. (see future posts) All in all it has been really fun collecting my dirt. The interesting thing however is that the dirt itself , although fascinating, isn't the reason I love my collection as much as I do. I can spend hours looking at each dirt sample, smelling it, feeling the different textures, observing the different colors. I can recall the details of where I was when I collected it. Was it a family vacation, a quiet moment alone, or just a whim because I may not have any dirt from where I was? Perhaps. But the love and appreciation really comes from the dirt that others have given me. I am so touched when I know that someone took the time to collect a little teaspoon from where they have been. At their home, on a vacation, traveling for work, or whatever the case may be. They took the time to think about me, so in a round about way, I am always with them and their dirt in the journey. How cool is that? 
So after many years of collecting, I finally decided to organize all of the the samples that I have. I contacted a company called Specialty Bottle. They have wonderful glass bottles with screw top lids that I know will preserve my precious soil. Each bottle holds one dram of dirt. That's just a little over 1 teaspoon. I purchased 100 bottles to start with, but quickly realized, I've only just begun. I will continue to post various stories about my dirt, and the memories attached to it. And here's the thing...Dirt travels was created in hopes that I might share with others the love I have for my collection. Hope you dig it as much as I do!
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