If you are faced with the question of what to gift someone—whether for a wedding, a birthday, or simply to say “I appreciate you”—consider giving an experience.
- Material items can bring joy, but their novelty often fades. A gadget becomes outdated, clothes wear out, and furniture fades into the background. But an experience—whether exhilarating, peaceful, or challenging—stays alive in the mind.
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
Not long ago, one of my colleagues was pondering what gift to present to her close friend on her wedding. She wanted something thoughtful, something that would stand apart from the usual stream of home appliances, envelopes of money, or decorative items that often end up forgotten in storage.
A few days later, when we met again, I asked her, “So, did you decide what to give?” She smiled and replied, “Yes, absolutely. Since they already have everything they need and no real requirement for more material possessions, I decided to give them a restaurant gift card. But not just any restaurant—it’s a place where, along with a fine meal, they can enjoy interactive activities and entertainment. My hope is that they will share that moment together, laugh, enjoy, and carry the memory for years.”
Her words struck me because they reflect a quiet but noticeable shift happening in many parts of the world. In developed countries, young people increasingly prefer experiences over physical objects. The trend of gifting an experience—whether it’s a travel voucher, a cooking class, or an adventure activity—has gained popularity because experiences tend to linger in our hearts far longer than most things we buy. They leave us with stories, emotions, and connections that no object can replicate. And notably, it is the younger generation that is leading this movement, often valuing shared moments more than material accumulation.
Why experiences matter more than things
Material items can bring joy, but their novelty often fades. A gadget becomes outdated, clothes wear out, and furniture fades into the background. But an experience—whether exhilarating, peaceful, or challenging—stays alive in the mind. It becomes part of one’s personal narrative.
Renowned travelogue writer Mr. Mustansar Hussain Tarar once captured this beautifully. He wrote that when he becomes very old and lies on a bed unable to travel anymore, he will revisit, in his mind, the journeys he once took—each trip like a cherished film he can play again and again. He imagines himself smiling in those moments, comforted by the memories. I, too, can relate. Sometimes I stand before my fridge, looking at the little magnets I’ve collected from across the globe. Each one is a portal to a day, a scent, a taste, or a sound I once experienced, and I silently thank the Almighty for granting me those moments.
A world of possible experiences
The range of experiences that can be gifted—or pursued for oneself—is immense. Food lovers might take cooking classes, experiment with new recipes, or join culinary tours abroad where they can taste authentic local dishes. Wine or beer enthusiasts can go on tasting trails, sampling varieties they might never find in their own cities. Baking from scratch—kneading dough, decorating cakes, smelling warm cookies fresh from the oven—can be as rewarding as it is delicious.
For the adventurous, the menu is even broader: a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise, ziplining across lush valleys, scuba diving among coral reefs, or skydiving in a controlled, safe environment. Some people love the challenge of plunging into icy lakes in winter and then warming up in a sauna—a tradition in Nordic countries. Escape rooms, too, have become popular worldwide; in fact, some companies now pay for their employees to participate as a form of team-building.
Not all experiences require travel to far-off places. Staying at a luxury hotel in your own city and enjoying its breakfast buffet can feel like a mini-vacation. Attending a live music concert, taking pottery lessons, painting by hand, or learning traditional handicrafts can all enrich life in small but meaningful ways.
Others might prefer rural or nature-based activities: spending a day with a farmer to understand how crops are grown, riding bicycles through quiet backroads, paddling small boats, trekking through forests, or hiking up hills to see sunrise views.
The wonder of travel and cultural immersion
For many, travel is the ultimate gift of experience. Standing in front of a glacier, feeling the heat of the desert sun, hearing waves crash on unfamiliar shores, or watching wildlife in its natural habitat can be life-changing. These moments not only expand our knowledge of the world but also deepen our empathy for its people and creatures.
But even without boarding a plane, the world nearby is full of treasures. I remember visiting the Medina market in Morocco, where narrow alleys opened into clusters of shops selling handmade goods. Artisans were weaving carpets, hammering metal, dyeing fabrics, and carving wood right before our eyes. The air was rich with scents of leather, spices, and fresh bread. I realized that much of this craftsmanship also exists in our own part of the world, though we often overlook it: woodwork, blacksmithing, embroidery, cloth dyeing, leathercraft.
Local experiences that stay with you
Sometimes, experiences are not grand but deeply personal. One could visit a truck-art workshop and watch the transformation of a plain vehicle into a colorful moving canvas. A goldsmith’s shop can offer a quiet thrill as you watch delicate patterns emerge from a steady hand. Seeing an ox or camel turning a press to extract oil, watching wheat being milled, or pulling water from a deep well using traditional methods connects you to a rhythm of life older than memory.
As a child in Moro, I took painting lessons from Sain Ghulam Muhammad Soomro—hours spent bent over a canvas, colours staining my hands, losing track of time. Those moments are etched into me as vividly as the artworks themselves.
Just last year in Thar, I joined my friends Sikandar Baloch and Sajad Suhag to draw water from Marvi’s well using a leather bucket. The creak of the rope, the gurgle of water filling the bucket, and the splash as it poured into the trough—all of it felt like music, a melody rooted in the land and its history.
The heart of the matter
At the core of all this is a simple truth: experiences shape us, enrich us, and stay with us far longer than any possession. They give us stories to tell, wisdom to share, and memories to hold close when time and age make new adventures harder to come by.
So the next time you are faced with the question of what to gift someone—whether for a wedding, a birthday, or simply to say “I appreciate you”—consider giving an experience- It might be a trip, a workshop, a special meal, or an adventure. Long after the wrapping paper is gone, the laughter, wonder, and warmth of that shared moment will remain.
And perhaps, one day, when they are old and resting on their bed, they will close their eyes, revisit that moment, and smile.
Read: The Psychology Behind Empty Yeses
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
