Suitcase Life - Part 2

The thing about a suitcase life is that you get pretty dependent on your suitcase – and it can seem like all the world is wrong if it goes missing. Well, it went missing last week. There I was, in Orlando, Florida with my shorts, t-shirts and bathing suit (and yes, clothes for my meetings the next morning) in my suitcase lost somewhere in the US Airlines system. I had been looking forward to some great sunny weather and the potential for a couple hours by the pool. Instead, I was standing at the baggage carousel, grabbing fast food, and making a run to Target for deodorant and something to wear in the morning.

It was really lost too – no one seemed to know where it was. You see, between a cancelled flight and being rerouted, the suitcase got lost somewhere in Toronto, Philadelphia or Pittsburg and it had seemingly vanished.

Now, this sometimes happens, and you get your bag in a few hours. Not a big deal. However, my bag didn’t reappear until 3:30 AM two days later, and only 3 ½ hours before I was leaving Florida.

I also had a car rental nightmare, cancelled / delayed flights, 3 ½ hours on hold with US Airways, and a crumbling living room wall at home that was supposed to be having repairs but wasn’t.

I had a really frustrating travel week, but I ended up with new clothes and new shoes, which is a bit of a comfort. It made me realize though, how when you live out of a suitcase, the suitcase is pretty important. It’s kind of like your house goes missing!

This leaves me wondering, what is my ‘suitcase’ when I’m at home? What part of my life has to be intact and where I can control it so that I feel like life is okay? Also, what is complaining and what is simple fact-stating (why in the world did I give up complaining for Lent?)