On the Road Again

Travel, Teams, and the Search for the Perfect Backpack

March 31, 2025

As I write this, I am in week 4 of 7 straight weeks. Two of these weeks have been in international countries while the rest have been in the U.S. This made me think that this is exactly what I signed on for, but then I started thinking again that “Living The Dream” doesn’t mean it’s easy.  It. Is. Not! However, I am blessed with the best team and clients AND we are all in this together! That makes me feel lucky.  So….on to important things. Like my backpack!

Event planner’s backpack

I realized after my toothbrush pushed its way through a small hole in my backpack, that my backpack’s days were numbered. I got about 8 years out of it, but I was hoping maybe I could get just a little more use out of it. Of course, as the months went by, the small hole turned into a large one, and then I had a zipper issue. Damn!! I DO have to replace it! Trying to find a worthy candidate while online shopping proved to be challenging. With the exception of stores in the airport, there isn’t a travel store near me where I could try many different types of backpacks. So, I made a list of what I wanted in a new backpack: more tech space for a laptop/cords, more separate space for a day or two of clothing, and a side pocket for a water bottle.  

I purchased my first one and it seemed fine until I had to use it on a trip. The zippers were too small and there were too many small pockets. The next one ended up being smaller than I thought even after I reviewed the specs. Finally, the ideal backpack arrived. Despite it being a mid-range priced backpack, it had everything that I wanted: just a little bit more space than the original, separate spacing for clothes and tech, good-sized zippers, and the right number of pockets. I packed it on my recent trip to Panama and felt good as I placed it under the seat in front of me on my flight. I easily accessed my travel stuff and thought “Problem solved.”  

However, when I was in the airport lounge in Atlanta and put my cord in and went to zip it up, the zipper broke. I then had to reorganize my stuff quickly. Then I grabbed a free bottle of water from the lounge and went to stick it in the side pocket. DIDN’T FIT! There was a funny zipper element that you zip up to make it tighter or looser, only the zipper wouldn’t move, it was stuck and the hole was too tight to fit in my bottle of water.  

On my flight back from Panama, I landed again in Atlanta and the plastic strap hardware piece broke and fell off. I don’t know how this happened as I didn’t hit it hard and it didn’t have any impact that I am aware of. I just saw the pieces on the ground as the backpack slipped off my shoulder. That was strike 3.  I then carried it like a briefcase holding the top handle, which made me realize that it was kind of skinny, and with the weight of the backpack, it put pressure on my fingers and palms. As I walked from customs to my gate, I was keeping my eye open for a travel store with backpacks but unfortunately, I didn’t see any.  

Now, my big travel season is upon me and I have no time to figure out a new backpack plan. I’ve since returned the one that fell apart and got a free replacement that I will use until I can start the process over again. I am using a carabiner to keep one zipper from freely opening and I taped the cheap plastic thing that is supposed to stop my strap from loosening up on my back. Sometimes when I return home from travelling, people in my orbit tell me that I look tired. But, I know I’m fine, I just need some sleep and a little time to refresh and then I’ll get back out there again.   

Wait a minute! Maybe I need to patch my old backpack!