Since traveling was on my mind I thought back to the various suitcases that I have used.  When I was young I had a small suitcase that I used to take to dance class.  It was nothing fancy, but it was sturdy.  There was a mirror inside of the cover so it was very handy.  When I got rid of it my grandfather put a strap around it and used it for some of his tools.

Next I had a medium suitcase that I used when I went to camp.  I still have this one.  Now I use it to store my material.  Just looking at it makes me wonder how I ever put the stuff I needed in it for a week of camp.

My high school graduation present was a set of Samsonite luggage.  When we went to McClenathan’s, I was allowed to pick the color I wanted. I chose blue.  There were three pieces.  I remember that I used this luggage for my honeymoon and it had rice in it for quite a while.  I only needed to take the medium case because we were only gone away for one night.  Both of us needed to get back to work.  I was teaching school and my husband had to get back to the dairy business.  We were always going to take a trip later on when things settled down, but that just never happened.

I still have my set of Samsonite luggage.  It is in my bedroom and I use it to store my seasonal clothes.  That makes it very convenient to change them out when I need to.  My granddaughter used the smallest case when we went to craft shows.  It was a great place to show off the things she had for sale.

My husband and I invested in a garment bag to take our things to Hershey for the fair convention.  We both stowed our good clothes in it and it worked just fine.  When I had to carry it myself it was sort of bulky and awkward to handle so I ditched that as well.

Now I am coming to what I would call the more modern pieces.  My mother had a suitcase with wheels that she used for some of her trips.  There were four wheels and a strap that you used to pull it.  I used this suitcase for the first trip I took after my husband died.  A friend and I enjoyed a cruise.  In my mind a cruise is a great way to go because you unpack, then throw everything back into the suitcase to go home.  I was so mad at that stupid suitcase that I could have thrown it away during the trip if I had not needed it to get my stuff back home.  Every time I walked and attempted to pull the thing behind me it tipped over.  I had to keep stopping to pick it up.  I described it as a dog going for a walk that kept lying down.  As soon as I got home I made a point to replace it.  I bought a big suitcase that would hold a week’s necessities without being too heavy.  The wheels on this one were much better.

It was not long until they came out with those suitcases that have the wheels that rotate in all directions.  They are really much better.  I looked at them for quite a while, but finally received one as a gift from my son and his family.  I also bought myself a smaller model that I could use on short trips.

Although I have quite a history with luggage you most likely know that simpler things were in place years ago.  If you remember the “carpetbaggers” that term refers to the bags they used to transport their necessities in earlier days.  I remember seeing movies where the characters used carpetbags.

Of course, there were also the steamer trunks that people traveling across the ocean used.  We saw several samples of those, last fall when we visited Ellis Island.  I cannot even imagine putting all of my worldly possessions into a trunk, traveling across the ocean, leaving family members behind.  Early immigrants have quite a story to tell.

In comparison my trip across the pond seems rather unimpressive.  We ride in huge jets with baggage stowed beneath us.  Our biggest worry is that we will be stopped going through the rigorous inspection process.  The next worry is that our luggage keeps up with all of our ups and downs and transfers.

I enjoy traveling and seeing as much as I can see while I am there, but I am also very glad when it is time to come home.  “Home” implies a level of familiarity and comfort.  It does not have to be luxurious – it just has to be home.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, PA.  Contact her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.