What gives something meaning?

I'd like to begin this piece with a joke from the Archives of Anne. 

What do you call people who accumulate appetizers?

Hoarder'oeuvres. 

Speaking of, I'm glad I'm not a hoarder. People who collect so many "meaningless" things without ever getting rid of them. I do believe it can get out of hand but what may be meaningful to you may not be meaningful to me and vice versa. Our brains work in such different ways (thankfully), so why judge? Okay, I guess we can judge if people collect garbage. That just not sanitary. I think collections are pretty neat. Everyone has their own reason and meaning for collecting trinkets. There are funny collections, touching collections, strange collections, accidental collections, and random collections. 

Last night I could not sleep. I'm sure I got a handful of sleep here and there, but I thought about the collection downstairs that has been in our living room for years. I thought about how I started this collection and how I think it's beautiful each time I return home. I collect mini mugs from different states or countries. I wish I could say I've been to all of the places that are written on my mugs but the truth is, I don't think I've been to 90% of these places. Even still, I owe the increase of my mug collection to many trips by my dad and other members of my family that found the mugs and brought them back for me. Most can be found at the airport and there isn't a time that goes by when I'm at the airport that I don't check for a mini mug. They are hard to find now. Apparently they have been ousted by something called the "shot glass?"

Mugshots: 

 As I've aged, I've been able to say that I traveled to some of these places! Oh, Canada!

 Thanks for going to Japan, Emily!

 Ironic that my favorite mug has always been the Seattle one? Maybe. 

It's right next to my second favorite mug from San Francisco. Foreshadowing?

 A small cup of coffee is not going to cut it anymore, huh? 

I love my collection. It's meaningful to me and I cannot wait to find a place for it somewhere in my home when I'm older. It's fun to collect things. I hope you already know that. It's a shame my recent collection has included Anatomy textbooks...

         Best, 

                Anne