TWO PACKING TIPS FOR A LONG CAR TRIP

RECENTLY STEVE AND I TOOK SEVERAL LONG ROAD TRIPS FOR WORK, FAMILY AND WHAT WE HOPED WOULD BE A LITTLE RELAXATION. THE WORK AND FAMILY PART TURNED OUT FINE BUT THE RELAXATION, WELL THAT WAS NON EXISTENT. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS, WE USED TWO DIFFERENT CARS AND HAD TO PACK AND UNPACK SEVERAL TIMES, UNLOAD AND RESTOCK. WITH ALL THE ELECTRONICS AND STEVE'S LOVE OF BOOKS BEING ADDED AS WE TRAVERSED THE COUNTRY, I WAS BEGINNING TO SERIOUSLY DOUBT AS TO WHETHER PACKING LIGHT WAS EVEN AN OPTION. THE CLOTHING AND TOILETRIES WERE OK, PACKED NICELY IN ONE UNDER-THE-SEAT BAG AND TWO OPEN WHOLE FOOD BAGS FOR EASY ACCESS. IT WAS ALL THE OTHER BAGS FOR COMPUTERS, CORDS, ADAPTERS, ART WORK, WRITING MATERIALS (WE STILL DO A LOT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY),FOOD, BOOTS FOR COLD WEATHER, TOOLS AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES THAT GOT TO ME. FINALLY,AFTER NEARLY LOSING IT SEVERAL TIMES ( WELL MAYBE, ACTUALLY LOSING IT) I CAME UP WITH A SOLUTION. RATHER THEN HAVING TO SEARCH THROUGH NUMEROUS, SIMILAR LOOKING BAGS, JUST IDENTIFY EACH ONE WITH A PAPER TRAVEL LUGGAGE TAG. THESE CAN BE FOUND AT AN OFFICE SUPPLY STORE, ONLINE OR AT A DOLLAR STORE. YOU CAN EVEN LIST SEVERAL IMPORTANT ITEMS ON EACH TAG. FOR EXAMPLE, MIMI'S ART WORK, SHARPEES, ENVELOPES AND STAPLER OR STEVE'S COMPUTER CORDS AND EXTRA READING GLASSES. FINALLY, AS A TIP FOR ANY TRAVELER ABOUT TO SPEND NUMEROUS NIGHTS ON THE ROAD, ALWAYS HAVE YOUR OVERNIGHT BAG PACKED LAST SO IT'S THE EASYEST TO ACCESS WHEN YOU OPEN THE TRUNK.

MY TRAVELON HANDBAG STRAP BROKE : (

MY FAVORITE HANDBAG STRAP BROKE TWO DAYS AGO WHILE I WAS ON A LONG CAR TRIP. I WANTED TO CRY, MAYBE I DID. NOW I WILL SEE HOW GOOD TRAVELON'S CUSTOMER SERVICE HANDLES THE PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY, I HAD A BACKUP CALLED THE FILER. IT TOO, HAS PLENTY OF POCKETS, ZIPPED AND UNZIPPED. IT IS PLAIN BLACK LIKE THE OTHER AND MADE OF THE SAME RESILIENT MATERIAL. THE MAJOR DRAWBACK IS THAT THE STRAP IS SHORTER, THINNER AND BUCKLE ADUSTABLE. I MISS MY OLD BAG WHERE I KNEW WHERE EVERYTHING WAS BUT IT WAS EMBARRASSING STOPPING AT THE ROADSIDE REST STOPS TRYING TO CARRY MY INJURED TRAVEON WITHOUT DRAGGING THE BROKEN STRAP ON THE GROUND. WHY CAN'T THINGS JUST STAY THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO?