It’s in the Bag

Having spent the last three months traveling and packing/unpacking, squeezing, throwing out, smuggling extra weight into the unsuspecting children’s bags, walking onboard with two pairs of pants, jumper, jacket and scarves just to relieve the bags of some weighty overweight, I feel that bags have been given too much space in my current traveling situation. I keep on fantasising about the trip I’ll make with nothing more than a passport, credit card, a book and a notebook… maybe some clean underwear, 1 change of clothes, a brush, a little wash bag….. a pair of bed socks, another change of clothes, make that three… some high heels (for some special occasion that might arrive out of the blue), a pair of good walking shoes, presents for the family, a cardigan (it might get cold), that summer dress I never wear but I might wear more often somewhere else, a second handbag, a hairdryer and a pair of clogs, sunhat…., correction: sunhats to be safe, nine pairs of jeans…..

Let’s face it, that walk on, walk off trip will never happen. Another utopian dream that has no actual relevance to the way I lead my life, but that’s ok, what’s wrong with arms that drag on the floor and a back that looks like a silhouette of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. So would it be true to say that one’s handbag is a reflection of how we travel in a suitcase? To some degrees I think this might be the case, and this is completely based on hard evidence – my own handbag. In it you will find the usual paraphernalia of diary, wallet, keys etc, but next to that will be a teaspoon-in-waiting for that yoghurt I might buy, or not, an article I feel I will have time to read, sometime, 40 different napkins from 40 different cafes, they will come in use, a pair of lost kids socks (oh, there they are… still!), 1 shoe, just to know the right size should I come across a shoe store with those special shoes my son keeps telling me to look out for, a really funny comic strip I once read and thought is the perfect cheer-me-upperer that might be needed at a crucial moment, and the list goes on and on.

So for this kind of living I need a sturdy handbag that can deal with a lot. I usually lean more towards the ones that are made out of safety belts and carry a stamp of approval from NASA. A handbag is not just a bag; it’s a vital vessel in your life. I don’t change handbags the way some people do, I normally settle on one that I like and then I love it to death. I will use it well beyond what is hygienically appropriate in most Western countries as well as esthetically pleasing to the eye. But they say that love is blind, and in my handbag case, this is definitely true. I keep the image of that first moment of having my new handbag and that impression will stay with me for a long time, perhaps too long, according to some less handbag love struck people. But hey, it’s my bag and I can wear it for as long as I want.

So my newest love is a Finnish beauty by the name of Marimekko Olkalaukku Messenger Bag. It ticks every box. But then again, you can always trust Marimekko to get it right. The amount of stuff I can fit into it is fantastic, and still, it looks in great shape and wears its weight lightly. Deep pockets and a trusted design classic from the 70’s, what more can one ask for. Over the shoulder or across the chest, it’s your choice. And if the Messenger bag isn’t your bag, there is plenty more to choose from, check out funkis for more goodie bags!