bon-voyage gift ideas?
June 2, 2006 11:28 PM Subscribe
Help me choose a memorable going away gift for some friends of mine who are moving across the country to start new careers.
A married couple who are friends of mine both recently finished their PhDs and are moving across Canada to start jobs in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I'd like to get them something that they'll appreciate, and won't just add to the pile of stuff they're going to have to pack and take with them.
Since they'll be driving from Vancouver to Halifax I thought I might put together some sort of road trip survival package. The obvious thing to include in such a kit is Tim Horton's gift certificates, but I need more than that. ;)
Other suggestions (outside of the road trip package idea) are also welcome.
A married couple who are friends of mine both recently finished their PhDs and are moving across Canada to start jobs in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I'd like to get them something that they'll appreciate, and won't just add to the pile of stuff they're going to have to pack and take with them.
Since they'll be driving from Vancouver to Halifax I thought I might put together some sort of road trip survival package. The obvious thing to include in such a kit is Tim Horton's gift certificates, but I need more than that. ;)
Other suggestions (outside of the road trip package idea) are also welcome.
Also throw in a nice photo of all of you together.
posted by SwingingJohnson1968 at 1:54 AM on June 3, 2006
posted by SwingingJohnson1968 at 1:54 AM on June 3, 2006
Best answer: If you know the approximate route they'll be taking, perhaps you can include personalized travel guide noting points of interest, decent restaurants, etc. You should be able to get most of the info online. Include space for them write up their notes (like a travel journal). Maybe throw in a couple of disposible cameras if they don't have a good camera of their own.
If there's a particular city they're sure to stop at, maybe a gift cert to a good restaurant there to give them a break from 'road food'.
And because the road trip is only a small part of their new life, if you know the area in Halifax they'll be moving to, perhaps a gift certicate to a local grocery store would be in order.
Maybe you could go with a 'Welcome to Halifax' kind of thing and get them gift certs for a theatre (movie or stage), a local event (The Royal Nova Scotia Int'l Tattoo takes place June 28-July 8) Maritime Fiddle Fest (Jul 6-10) or the Atlantic Jazz Fest (Jul 14-23).
Along the same theme, maybe you could 'buy them dinner' at Bish World or daMaurizio. Both are expensive but would be a nice treat for your friends.
If you want to spend some time & not a lot of cash, buy a nice calendar and fill it in with local events your friends might be interested in (Halifax Info is a good source).
posted by jaimystery at 3:59 AM on June 3, 2006
If there's a particular city they're sure to stop at, maybe a gift cert to a good restaurant there to give them a break from 'road food'.
And because the road trip is only a small part of their new life, if you know the area in Halifax they'll be moving to, perhaps a gift certicate to a local grocery store would be in order.
Maybe you could go with a 'Welcome to Halifax' kind of thing and get them gift certs for a theatre (movie or stage), a local event (The Royal Nova Scotia Int'l Tattoo takes place June 28-July 8) Maritime Fiddle Fest (Jul 6-10) or the Atlantic Jazz Fest (Jul 14-23).
Along the same theme, maybe you could 'buy them dinner' at Bish World or daMaurizio. Both are expensive but would be a nice treat for your friends.
If you want to spend some time & not a lot of cash, buy a nice calendar and fill it in with local events your friends might be interested in (Halifax Info is a good source).
posted by jaimystery at 3:59 AM on June 3, 2006
After just surviving a cross-country move myself, I echo all sentiments about not giving them anything tangible before their trip. Even something the size of a shoebox just adds to what you have you carry, load, and unload.
Since you mentioned that they are both starting new jobs, I was thinking that you may also consider something related to that. I'm not sure what they do, but consider getting them a membership in their local professional organization. While many (national) organizations do have expensive dues, most also have local chapters which have smaller dues and are excellent ways to network (I've done this with AIChE in every city to which I've moved and it's been fantastic). For new professionals in a (new?) city. this might be a neat way to get them started meeting new people, if only at a professional level.
Also, for once they have settled into their new place, think about sending them something green and living for their home. My moving company (Atlas) discouraged me from shipping plants since they don't want any liability if they die during the move, but I did it anyway, and with some plant food and some sun, my plants recovered fairly quickly. You never mentioned whether or not they had movers or were doing it themselves, so this might not even apply . . . But, I do know that once I settled in, having something green and living was a nice addition that made it feel a little more like home. When I moved into my first place after graduation, my mom sent me a 4-foot (1.2 meter) tall yucca plant as a house warming gift. It was an *unexpected* but really neat and original idea. I checked online at 1800flowers.com and they do ship to Nova Scotia if that is something you may want to try. I'm sure that there are similar websites out there that may be less expensive, so check those, too. You can always call a local florist or greenhouse and get ideas and arrange for delivery (maybe a few days after they arrive and have a chance to start unpacking). This gift may not be for everyone, so you know better than I if it is something they would love or something they can do without.
My last idea, if you've known them for a while and have the photos, is to make a small photo album or a collage for them to have.
I hope this helps!
posted by galimatias at 4:38 AM on June 3, 2006
Since you mentioned that they are both starting new jobs, I was thinking that you may also consider something related to that. I'm not sure what they do, but consider getting them a membership in their local professional organization. While many (national) organizations do have expensive dues, most also have local chapters which have smaller dues and are excellent ways to network (I've done this with AIChE in every city to which I've moved and it's been fantastic). For new professionals in a (new?) city. this might be a neat way to get them started meeting new people, if only at a professional level.
Also, for once they have settled into their new place, think about sending them something green and living for their home. My moving company (Atlas) discouraged me from shipping plants since they don't want any liability if they die during the move, but I did it anyway, and with some plant food and some sun, my plants recovered fairly quickly. You never mentioned whether or not they had movers or were doing it themselves, so this might not even apply . . . But, I do know that once I settled in, having something green and living was a nice addition that made it feel a little more like home. When I moved into my first place after graduation, my mom sent me a 4-foot (1.2 meter) tall yucca plant as a house warming gift. It was an *unexpected* but really neat and original idea. I checked online at 1800flowers.com and they do ship to Nova Scotia if that is something you may want to try. I'm sure that there are similar websites out there that may be less expensive, so check those, too. You can always call a local florist or greenhouse and get ideas and arrange for delivery (maybe a few days after they arrive and have a chance to start unpacking). This gift may not be for everyone, so you know better than I if it is something they would love or something they can do without.
My last idea, if you've known them for a while and have the photos, is to make a small photo album or a collage for them to have.
I hope this helps!
posted by galimatias at 4:38 AM on June 3, 2006
Pick a city somewhere along their trip, where you knew they would be stopping for the night (or a couple of days) and book them into a suite at a really nice hotel, complete with a great in-room dinner (champagne?) Maybe a visit to a masseuse in the morning.
Sort of a mid-trip pampering.
Long cross-country drives can fray the nerves. A day off from the trip might be very welcome.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:47 AM on June 3, 2006
Sort of a mid-trip pampering.
Long cross-country drives can fray the nerves. A day off from the trip might be very welcome.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:47 AM on June 3, 2006
How about a gift membership in whatever the Canadian equivalent of AAA is (CAA?) It would be a bummer to have car trouble far from home without some backup.
Off-topic: Did you have to mention Tim Horton's? Now I have to make the 300+ mile trip to Windsor. Krispy Kreme just doesn't cut it for me. :)
posted by SteveTheRed at 5:27 AM on June 3, 2006
Off-topic: Did you have to mention Tim Horton's? Now I have to make the 300+ mile trip to Windsor. Krispy Kreme just doesn't cut it for me. :)
posted by SteveTheRed at 5:27 AM on June 3, 2006
A problem with giving them gift certificates to specific places on their drive is it locks them into those places and that route. If they have any kind of car trouble that delays them, or even just a wild hair to deviate from their planned route, they could be stuck with a gift certificate to a hotel or spa or restaurant[*] they may never pass by again.
Do they have a cd player in their car, or an mp3 system? Perhaps a mix of songs that have some meaning for you all would be appreciated? Or songs about Canada, or only Canadian artists?
[*] Obviously this doesn't apply to Tim Horton's.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:48 AM on June 3, 2006
Do they have a cd player in their car, or an mp3 system? Perhaps a mix of songs that have some meaning for you all would be appreciated? Or songs about Canada, or only Canadian artists?
[*] Obviously this doesn't apply to Tim Horton's.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:48 AM on June 3, 2006
Response by poster: jaimystery: I like the "things to do in Halifax" idea. I lived in Halifax for seven years and know the city quite well, so I can actually recommend quite a few places and events from experience. Dinner at Bish is probably a little out of my budget, though. ;)
I think I'll probably do a combo road-trip/Halifax survival kit with some of the suggestions mentioned above (calendar, mixed cd, etc.).
Thanks!
posted by sanitycheck at 8:59 AM on June 3, 2006
I think I'll probably do a combo road-trip/Halifax survival kit with some of the suggestions mentioned above (calendar, mixed cd, etc.).
Thanks!
posted by sanitycheck at 8:59 AM on June 3, 2006
If they are into history at all this is a nifty little book: Underground Halifax.
posted by Rumple at 9:51 AM on June 3, 2006
posted by Rumple at 9:51 AM on June 3, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you want to give them anything else, try a gift certificate to a home furnishings or Target-type store. Anything that has weight, ship to them once they're settled. To people making a cross-country move, everything looks an anvil, and they'd happily leave it all at curb if they could. Don't give them any anvils!
posted by melissa may at 12:08 AM on June 3, 2006