My Carry-On
From the comfort of my permanent desk and clean sheet bed, I often think back on My Life With Two Carry-Ons and wonder how I managed it all—the 430am Monday wake up call, the black hairs on the shower wall, the turbulence, the Talkers, the Travel Rookies, the tiny planes, the team dinners, the flight delays, the fried food, the smelly Vital cars, the long work hours, the loneliness, the time away from home. It’s like I made it all up. The only reminder that I really did have a life with two carry-ons is, well, my carry-on, Briggs.
On my first week ever of traveling, I was on a packed AA flight from LGA to ORD. I struggled to fit my bag in the overhead compartment as it was about 10 inches too long and my hair dryer was sticking out of the top compartment. The Flight Attendant had to check the bag. I quickly realized that I needed an actual carry-on and that Thursday night when I returned to NYC, I immediately went to Innovation Luggage on 21st and 6th and purchased Briggs.
That Monday, I remember I felt like I was a total badass. I put my Briggs up with ease—wheels in and all. I looked like one of them—I looked like a Road Warrior.
Briggs & I quickly became close companions as we traveled the country and the world together. After our travels to ORD, we went on to weekly trips to BOI (with connections at SLC, MSP, SFO), two years to MIA and FLL, a month in Madison, a couple months in RIC and flights to LAX, TPA, DFW, ATL, MSY and DCA. Briggs traveled by car to Harrisburg and by train to Union Station on a regular basis. Briggs has even gone internationally to SJD, but never to Europe, as I usually need a checked bag to fit all the purchases.
On every trip—every take-off, landing, check-in and check-out, there was Briggs. He went with me everywhere—I squeezed him into the stall at the airport Ladies, I stood him next to my stool at an airport bar, I wheeled him delicately down the jet bridge and, as I stepped onto the plane, right foot first, I made sure Briggs got onto the plane behind me. We’ve been on the tarmac together—traveling from tiny plane to bus to gate and then on through the airport to the rental car shuttle bus. On weather related delays, when the airport was over crowded, Briggs often became a makeshift seat. Briggs was always there with me, following along like a loyal pet. He was the ultimate true companion for Jammahs the Road Warrior and was prominently featured in American Way. It was with much fondness that I dedicated my travel blog to Briggs—and My Life with My Mom’s Monday and Thursday Weather Reports just didn’t sound as good.
And so, it with such great sadness that I have to part ways with Briggs. His wheels squeak, the zippers have broken, there are a few holes and he’s permanently expanded. He’s a mess. It’s like as soon as he knew we were no longer Road Warriors, he got depressed and fell apart. I’d hold onto him forever if I could—on permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian of Jammahs' History—right next to my other life treasures. Instead, I’ll donate Briggs to the Salvation Army and hope that he’ll continue to live a life of flight delays, turbulence and overhead compartments. He’d want it that way.
On my first week ever of traveling, I was on a packed AA flight from LGA to ORD. I struggled to fit my bag in the overhead compartment as it was about 10 inches too long and my hair dryer was sticking out of the top compartment. The Flight Attendant had to check the bag. I quickly realized that I needed an actual carry-on and that Thursday night when I returned to NYC, I immediately went to Innovation Luggage on 21st and 6th and purchased Briggs.
That Monday, I remember I felt like I was a total badass. I put my Briggs up with ease—wheels in and all. I looked like one of them—I looked like a Road Warrior.
Briggs & I quickly became close companions as we traveled the country and the world together. After our travels to ORD, we went on to weekly trips to BOI (with connections at SLC, MSP, SFO), two years to MIA and FLL, a month in Madison, a couple months in RIC and flights to LAX, TPA, DFW, ATL, MSY and DCA. Briggs traveled by car to Harrisburg and by train to Union Station on a regular basis. Briggs has even gone internationally to SJD, but never to Europe, as I usually need a checked bag to fit all the purchases.
On every trip—every take-off, landing, check-in and check-out, there was Briggs. He went with me everywhere—I squeezed him into the stall at the airport Ladies, I stood him next to my stool at an airport bar, I wheeled him delicately down the jet bridge and, as I stepped onto the plane, right foot first, I made sure Briggs got onto the plane behind me. We’ve been on the tarmac together—traveling from tiny plane to bus to gate and then on through the airport to the rental car shuttle bus. On weather related delays, when the airport was over crowded, Briggs often became a makeshift seat. Briggs was always there with me, following along like a loyal pet. He was the ultimate true companion for Jammahs the Road Warrior and was prominently featured in American Way. It was with much fondness that I dedicated my travel blog to Briggs—and My Life with My Mom’s Monday and Thursday Weather Reports just didn’t sound as good.
And so, it with such great sadness that I have to part ways with Briggs. His wheels squeak, the zippers have broken, there are a few holes and he’s permanently expanded. He’s a mess. It’s like as soon as he knew we were no longer Road Warriors, he got depressed and fell apart. I’d hold onto him forever if I could—on permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian of Jammahs' History—right next to my other life treasures. Instead, I’ll donate Briggs to the Salvation Army and hope that he’ll continue to live a life of flight delays, turbulence and overhead compartments. He’d want it that way.
posted by Jammahs at 5:50 AM
5 Comments:
It the road warrior back?????
This comment has been removed by the author.
sigh......
so long briggs but hello cubicle and a new shiny montly metro card :-)
Jammahs the road warrior is back on the blog!! As a diehard fan, I am psyched! Hope this means the creative jucies are flowing and more blogs to come!
I just happened to click back. It's funny b/c I'm still at the same place that made you a road warrior and I'm about to go through my second carry on bag. I buy them from discount stores so they are very visible from window, from the tarmac, I will always know what bag is mine. But they only stand up the pressure for about two years!
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