Guide

Going away gifts: the place they leave and the place they go

Going away gifts that name the places: one for home, one for where they are going, with sections for a military posting and a mission abroad.

6 min read

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View from a moving window down onto a small stone harbour, a curtain at the edge
Photo: Hendrik Schuette on Unsplash

When someone is leaving, the gift has a simple job. It has to say where they came from, wish them well where they are going, and fit in a suitcase. A going away gift that names the actual places does that better than anything general about travel. This guide covers who a place gift suits, how to choose the places, which carrier to pick, example sets for a friend moving away, a military posting and a mission abroad, and how to time it before they leave.

Who this gift suits

  • A friend moving away for a new job, a new city or a new country.
  • A son, daughter or partner leaving for a military posting overseas.
  • Someone leaving on a mission abroad for a year or two.
  • A sibling or an old friend moving back to the place they grew up.

If they rarely wear jewelry and do not carry a bag they love, skip to the section on gifts that are not jewelry.

Two places: the one they leave and the one they go to

The simplest going away gift is a pair: one charm for the place they are leaving and one for the place they are going. It goes with them, and it tells anyone who asks the short version of the story. A set is built to grow, so the next move, or the trip home, can join the first two later.

  • Home first. The place they are leaving is the one they will miss. It is usually the first charm.
  • The new place. Where they will live next. If it is not settled yet, give home on its own and let them add the next place when they know.
  • A place you shared. The trip you took together, or the country you both lived in for a while. A third charm from you says the friendship goes with them too.

Each charm is a country or place flag, so a move between two cities in the same country is one charm, not two. In that case the pair can be home and the place you shared, or home and a place they have always talked about.

Choose how they will carry it

Every charm is a small landscape tile, about 10 x 7 mm, with a printed enamel flag face and its own lobster clasp, so it moves between all three carriers.

  • Necklace. An elongated cable chain, roughly 49 cm, with a secure lobster clasp. For someone who wears a chain every day.
  • Bracelet. The same elongated cable chain at roughly 22 cm, on the wrist where they will see it.
  • Carry Clip. A smooth leather loop in black or cognac brown with 316L stainless steel hardware. It clips to the backpack, carry-on or keys that go everywhere with them, and suits people who do not wear much jewelry.

Silver is the natural steel. Gold is real 18k gold plating over the steel. Match what they already wear most days.

Example sets for a friend moving away

Each of these opens the set builder with the places, carrier and finish already chosen. Change anything before you check out.

Military going away gifts

A posting overseas comes with orders, a packing list and very little room for anything extra. A few charms on a Carry Clip ride along on the bag or keys they already carry, and if they would rather not wear jewelry on duty, the Carry Clip is the easy choice. For someone who wears a chain every day, a necklace works the same way.

Start with home and add the country of the posting. Because a set is built to grow, each new posting can join the others when it comes, and over a few years the charms become a record of where they served. For the family at home, the same places on a necklace or bracelet keep both sides of the map close.

Gifts for a missionary

Someone leaving on a mission abroad usually goes for a set length of time, often a year or two, to one place they will come to know well. A charm for home and a charm for the place they will serve makes a quiet, personal send-off gift, and it is small enough to wear every day. When they come home, the pair stays together on the same chain or clip.

Timing it before they leave

Orders are packed in 1 to 2 business days and ship within the US. Delivery time depends on the address, and checkout shows the most accurate estimate for it. If the gift needs to be in their hands before a departure date, order well ahead rather than counting on a particular day. If they have already moved abroad, send it to a US address, family at home for instance, and let it travel with the next visit.

A keepsake pouch is included with every set, so it is ready to give at a farewell dinner or to pack straight into a suitcase.

Thirty days to decide

If it isn't right, or a gift doesn't land the way you hoped, let us know within 30 days of delivery for an exchange or a full refund. Pieces need to come back unworn and in their original condition. A real person handles it, and it takes one email.

What it is made of

Each charm is 316L stainless steel with a printed enamel face. The necklace and bracelet chains are 304 stainless steel, and the Carry Clip pairs 316L hardware with smooth leather. Silver is the natural steel. Gold is real 18k plating over it. The steel is corrosion-resistant, hypoallergenic and fine to get wet, and every piece is made for daily wear.

If jewelry is not the right gift

The same idea works without jewelry: name the places. Print one photograph of home to hang in the new place. Write out a family recipe by hand. Frame a small map of the old neighborhood. Seal a few letters to open on the first day, the first month and the first holiday away. A going away gift lands best when it is about the specific place they are leaving, not about leaving in general.

Start with one place

For someone leaving, start with home. Build your set, or read our guides to gifts for travelers, gifts for someone with two homes, long distance gifts, study abroad gifts and new citizen gifts.

The Travel Charm Set

A place you can hold

Choose the places, then a necklace, bracelet or Carry Clip, in silver or 18k gold plated. Every set arrives in a keepsake pouch.

Build your set
  • 30-day returns
  • Packed in 1 to 2 business days
  • Ships within the US

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