As we sail around the world, we will be the guests of the people of many nations, large and small. When we visit more remote areas, the people who live there may not have access to many of the things we take for granted living in the USA. We’d like to bring gifts with us on Golden Glow that would be appreciated by the people in these far-off places. The question is what to bring and how to give it in a respectful way.

We will be sailing in these people’s waters, visiting their beaches, fishing from their seas, and sharing their hospitality, and we want to say thank you and not arrive empty-handed.

Of course, giving our respect and friendship is number one. We want any material gifts we give to reflect our appreciation and respect, and not be demeaning in any way (we’ve heard that in some places, giving gifts to children is frowned upon because it encourages begging, but giving the gifts to village elders or established organizations is appreciated.)

I intend to do more research on what the local people in various places we will visit might most value that we could bring them.  For instance, in the South Pacific, I’ve heard that eyeglasses of all prescriptions, shapes and sizes are greatly appreciated. So this will be one thing we stock up on before 2016.

Whatever we pack has to be small, lightweight and inexpensive so we can bring a lot on the boat to give as we go along. If you have insight on what we might bring, please do add a comment and share your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you, and it will help us prepare for our circumnavigation.