Not needing to pack much for our overnight trip to Montana this last weekend, I happily dug out my adorable, bright red, faux snakeskin Bath & Body Works duffle bag. Is this bag totally cute or what?
Allow me to give you a little background on this bag. The week before our wedding in 2005, I was shopping with my mother, grandmother and sisters in the Wenatchee mall when we wandered into Bath & Body Works and saw these wonderful red duffle bags. My grandmother, wanting to mark the occasion with a gift to us girls, bought each of us one of these bags. So you see why this bag is so precious to me. As I am prone to overpacking for every little excursion I travel on, I don't often get to use my red duffle because it simply isn't large enough. But every time the occasion (and my belongings) fits, I am practically giddy as I retrieve the bag from the closet and admire it lovingly. Every time I see the bag I think of my grandmother, my mother and my sisters, and I feel loved. To me, this bag epitomizes the Binder women.
The men who have been so fortunate to marry the Binder women, however, all seem to hate the red bags. My wonderful husband, who will occasionally hold my purse for me when needed, refuses to carry this bag. A few years ago, I had the splendid opportunity to dig out the bag for a short overnight trip Justin and I were taking. Trying to be economical, I attempted to pack both of our belongings into the bag. Justin walked into the room as I was doing this, stopped dead in his tracks and said "You're taking that thing?" When I told him I was indeed, he promptly walked to the closet and pulled out his own bag. Nevermind that we both could have easily traveled with just the one bag. No, sir.
When I shared Justin's adverse reaction to the bag with my sisters I found it humerous to discover that they had each had similar reactions from their spouses. But my husband's aversion to the bag has left me undeterred. Truth be told, I think it has emboldened me to find more occasions to use it. When it came time to pack my hospital bag when Kendry was born, which piece of luggage do you think I selected? You got it! In Justin's defense, that was one time he willingly carried the bag for me. He doesn't hate it enough to make his contracting, overdue wife lug it in from the car.
As I packed for our mother/daughter trip this last weekend I had a fun idea to start documenting the travels of my precious red bag. As of today, the bag is nearly four and a half years old and has been on many little trips with me, but very few that I can specifically document for you. Therefore, we will start with what I can recall.
1. Trip destination: Gritman Medical Center, Moscow, Idaho
Purpose of trip: the birth of our precious first born, Kendry Dru
Date: May 2009
2. Trip destination: Kalispell, Montana
Purpose of trip: mother/daughter trek to pick up my parents' new standard poodle puppy, Ramses
Date: March 6-7, 2010
Stay tuned for more adventures!
If I'm really honest here, 10lbs might be a bit optimistic. I'm not sure I have ever successfully packed an overnight bag under 10lbs. But my determination to use Red Bag has definitely got me packing a little lighter so everything fits. Or I just squeeze a few items into Justin's bag when he isn't looking.