This is feels like an appropriate topic tonight. After 13 hours at school (I know, I didn’t know it was possible either) I feel like I could have just gotten off a transcontinental flight. Writing is actually saving me from blindly following the Macaulay Culkin story on Yahoo.
This may not seem like a super scintillating topic, but in the past few years I’ve become more and more opinionated about luggage. First of all, I would like to talk to the genius who spread the idea that backpacks were the quick and easy way to go. I did the whole backpacking-through-Europe thing and I don’t think my shoulders will ever forgive me. Not to mention the deadly waist strap that “balances” the weight on my shoulders by permanently immobilizing my lower back. And backpacks, or at least “serious” backpacks were clearly not made with women in mind, or, more specifically, with breasts in mind! Any woman who can figure out how to make that chest strap thing work has my respect for life. All that and they look stupid. And are perfect for the bus where you can accidentally crush old ladies and get pickpocketed all at the same time.
With that said, I actually do use a backpack quite often, mainly because it’s the only thing I own, but I would love to replace it with a weekend bag. A couple of years ago, on the train into Paris from CDG, I saw a girl with the most elegant, perfect weekend bag I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the foresight to photograph it, but the image in my head will from now on be the standard by which all other bags are measured (something like this, more or less). As a substitute, I happened to stop by the leather school in florence while we were there, and while a lot of their stuff is not for me, the luggage was pretty killer. And by killer, I mean buttery soft with all kinds of caramel, mahogany tones. Yum. But, looks aside, duffel bags, even beautiful leather ones, are great for weekends and trips with few stops, but not that awesome to haul around for long periods of time, unless you like your back lopsided. Which brings me to my point: wheeled luggage.
Wheelies, rollies, trolleys- not so sexy. For me it conjures up images of old chinese (or italian, for that matter) women bringing home their groceries in those horrible plastic sacks on wheels. I respect the women, but not the accessory. Not to mention the annoyance and wrist-breaking pain of a flimsy suitcase that turns on its side every time it hits a bump (after witnessing a particularly violent disagreement between me and one of these suitcases, my mother has limited her luggage lending). But I think it was George Clooney who convinced me. Actually, it took some convincing just to get me to watch George Clooney (smarmy), but I was pleasantly surprised by the film, and my prospective on wheels was changed for life. Somehow, instead of seeing stodgy, touristware, I started seeing sleek, convenient, and most importantly- no weight on my shoulders! Ok, so I probably wouldn’t want to take one bumming around the bumpy roads of Mexico with me, but on the slick floors of an airport and in and out of the baggage claim (another reason I’m not a fan of backpacks: I’ve had mine lost several times because the straps make it considered unwieldy, and therefore it gets isolated and left behind in the rush. The only way to remedy is to plastic wrap it, something I’d like to avoid if possible.) they can’t be beat.
For the moment, I’m contemplating a hard shell style (protection!) like this one, but I’m figuring it’s an art that will take me another 10 years or so to master. Right around when I finally figure out this frequent flyer nonsense.
somewherebetweenmilanandsantacruz 
