We Bought A New Suitcase

What happens when you have 5 suitcases that don’t have wheels?  You buy more luggage, that's what you do.  

We have several large bags that have lots of mileage on them and throughout our trips have lost most, if not all of their wheels.  And, what good is a suitcase with just one wheel?

So, the husband and I had been looking. . . not shopping per say, but looking for some suitcases that might replace our others.

There was a second hand charity auction that had a black suitcase up for bid and we placed a low bid.  No luck.  Not too disappointed as it the bag didn't meet all of the criteria. . . see below.

We looked on-line and at a variety of stores.

Then, on Sunday, when we were roaming around a large metropolitan area while the boy and his Uncle John took in a minor league baseball game, we came across a bag that we liked.

First criteria—the wheels had to be built into the body of the bag.  We had learned through experience that the farther out the wheels stick, the more likely they are to get broken when you check your bag. 

Interestingly, there were others that were checking out the four wheeled bags that could spin 360° so I made sure our conversation about broken wheels got a bit louder.  It worked.  A lady made her way over with a suitcase in hand and asked what we were saying about the wheels.  We explained about wheels being broken when checking bags.  I also showed her how the wheels extending from a carry-on bag could keep her bag from fitting in the overhead bin.

Second criteria—the bag had to be lightweight.  Again, our new suitcase met the criteria.  The husband did some testing with a suitcase in each hand and compared the weights.  The one we picked was lighter.  And, lightweight was in the title of the bag.  If I only get 50 pounds, I don’t want 10 of those pounds going to the bag itself. 

Third criteria—a double barred handle.  Single barred handles can break easily.  Again, the bag we picked had a double bar.  It even had a zipper compartment for the handle when it retracted back into the bag and was not in use.

Fourth criteria—it had to be any color other than black.  This is more of a personal choice due to the number of black bags that can be found on luggage carousels.  Currently, we have pink, red, and purple luggage just to give you an idea of color preference.  Our new bag is a moss green/gray/red combo.  The husband said we had to jazz it up a bit.  I’m not sure what he has in mind, but I did hear him mention ribbons.

Fifth criteria—it had to be sturdy.  We double checked the zippers, hinges, etc.  Then, we took the bag for a test drive around the store while we continued to shop to test out durability and maneuverability. 

Six criteria—it had to not be expensive.  Conde Nast Traveler’s July 2012 edition included a special report about why 26 million airline bags go missing each year.  The article also included advice about luggage, etc.  One tip was to never pay more than $150 for a bag.  Well, that would be our top end!  Our new suitcase was less than $80.

As soon as we paid for it and took it to the car I said to the husband, “You know what I want to do now don’t you?”  He replied, “Pack?”  That was exactly right!

A "Lighter" Disney Trip

It was a difficult decision for me to write about being almost fifty pounds lighter for our most recent Walt Disney World trip than our trip last July.  I just wasn’t sure I wanted to “talk” about my weight, so openly, publically, as it can be a sensitive topic.  Then, it occurred to me that my reason for being healthier might inspire someone else and I definitely wanted to capture the high points of traveling to Disney a bit lighter.

I’ll begin with the motivation.  Someone asked me why I was losing weight and wanted to lose weight.  I could have given the right answers such as health, longevity, etc., but my reason was selfish.  I didn’t want to be limited in my travel choices.  When we booked the parasailing shore excursion at Castaway Cay for our last cruise, I was terrified that when I combined my weight and my son’s that we would be over the limit.  That was enough to cause me to rethink my eating patterns.  I did not want to have to pick activities for vacations based on my weight.  Bottom line.  That was last May.

When we cruised in July I was down a few pounds, enough to no longer be worried the parasailing operator would cancel our sail.  It was a great feeling.  I could also tell there was another man in our boating party that was worried about the same thing.  He made a joke about it.  Something I couldn’t do.

Fast forward to March and our most recent trip to Walt Disney World.  By this time, I was minus 50 pounds.  And, in addition to my clothing being a bit loose, there were other differences I noted during our travel.

My feet didn’t hurt.  I didn’t have to apply one strip of moleskin to my feet the entire trip.  Good thing, as the husband developed some killer blisters by the 2^nd day and ended up using all of the moleskin—and got a new pair of Mickey sandals out of the deal.

I had more energy.  Yeah, we typically toured park opening to night, but this time, it felt easier.  And, my feet weren’t hurting.  Yeah!

The Splash Mountain lap bars were no problem!  For whatever reason, we didn’t ride Splash Mountain during our trip in July.  Prior to that trip, lap bars had been installed on the ride.  The lap bars posed no problem during our trip in March and neither did the seat belts at Test Track or Dinosaur or Kali River Rapids or Soarin’.  Disney does a great job meeting guests’ needs of any and all sizes, so it was more about my personal comfort rather than access or availability.

There was much more room when we flew.  Unless we manage a free upgrade to Business Class, we sit three to a side.  Typically, the husband takes the aisle, the boy gets the center, and I take the window seat.  On our flight back home, I somehow ended up in the middle seat and felt like I had plenty of room.

I must also note that the watching of one’s eating did not take place while on vacation.  I’m on vacation!  Yet, I did notice many of the food choices offered throughout Walt Disney World, and it would have been rather easy to continue the healthful eating pattern while on vacation.  I chose not to.  For the trip in March and last July.  I had gained five pounds by the end of the March trip.  Not to worry, those 5 plus 3 more came off within a couple of weeks.

So now what?  Well, the healthful eating pattern continues.  I’m not going to publically state a goal. . . that would be too much pressure. 

The husband and the boy have been very supportive, especially the husband who does most of the evening meal cooking during the week.  I’m looking forward to experiencing a “lighter” side of Disney cruising in a few more months!