We leave a week from tomorrow! Every day we work on another aspect of the trip--or maybe more than one. They say anticipation of a trip is half the fun, and while that may be true, it is not without its challenges.
My most recent luggage purchase was two years ago while we were in China. A critical zipper broke on the bag I was using at the time, so we shopped at the outdoor market in Hong Kong for a replacement--a bright red bag. That story was an adventure in itself!
But, sadly, that bag eventually bit the dust, so time for a new one. An important criteria for this trip is to have a lightweight bag. We will be on our own for five weeks, managing our own luggage at the airports and on and off the multiple trains we will be riding in Eastern Europe. So I need five weeks of clothing and gear, and a solid but light piece of luggage. David did a lot of on-line comparisons, and we decided on a Lipault brand from Travelsmith. It comes in a variety of colors and I chose purple! We ordered an 18 X 26 inch bag and a matching carry-on. I was a happy camper! But then we learned the carry on was back ordered. No worries--even with the delay, it was to ship in time for our trip. The larger bag arrived. It has a great frame and sturdy wheels. It weighs only seven pounds.It looks like it will serve me well. But, alas, we are notified that the carry-on will now be further back-ordered. It will not ship until after we leave!
David called Travelsmith. (Of course, I eventually want the purple carry-on to match my other piece, but that is not an option at the moment. So we left the back-order in place to receive one when it becomes available.) Meanwhile, Travelsmith offered to have us select a different carry-on, which we would pay for and they would ship free. When we return from the trip, we can return the bag for a refund. We ordered a substitute, in ocelot print. It has arrived and will serve the purpose--even came with a matching tote. Very classy!
David's luggage story begins with his decision several months ago to purchase a 17 inch laptop. (We now are a four- computer household. I have a PC and a work-issued laptop. He has his personal 17 inch laptop plus a Fire district-issued laptop for his participation as fire-board chair.) David wants to take his personal laptop on the trip, so ordered a new carry on to accommodate it. When it arrived, the 17-inch laptop was just a skosh too big! So, David returned it and ordered a larger carry-on and a matching 15 X 26 inch bag. We worried that we might not receive them in time, but they have arrived. His large bag does not look all that big, considered all that needs to be packed for this trip, but he is determined to make it work, so we will hope for the best.
Nearly ready to begin packing!
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