I travel a lot. Without getting too in depth about the particulars of my life and career,

I will say that my job ends up taking me all over the world.

I've been to just about every continent on the planet, with the exception of somewhere like Antarctica,

and the number of countries I haven't stepped foot in rapidly

shrinks every year.

It's absolutely amazing, as I've been able to see and partake in so many different customs,

cultures and lifestyles.

And one thing I always love to do is purchase a souvenir to take home with me, a sort of keepsake to mark

my first time in a new country that I can take down from the shelf and look at when the

nostalgia hits me. It can be anything, whether an ornamental figure, a glass, or a book.

That's where the reason I'm posting here comes in.

You see, a few months ago, I was sent to Algeria to help oversee a business deal that a client

was involved in. The main dealings had wrapped up, and after a few days of exploring the capital

city of Algiers, I decided

to take a final stroll through one of the many bazaars I had come to a door perusing in

my off-time the day before my flight left back to the States.

I'd already had it in mind to find something to buy as a memento, and so I strolled past the vendors selling fruit and various foods, looking for something

interesting.

And as I passed the table which was selling various bits and bobs, it caught my eye.

It was an old leather-bound journal clasped tightly shut with what appeared to be a belt closure of some kind.

The leather looked extremely weather-beaten and worn, as if it had sat in the burning desert

sun for decades, and the edges of the pages I could see were yellowed with age. My curiosity peaked.

...