Suitcases have played an important role in my life. There have been two principal characters.
The first was a brown leather suitcase I used as a child. When we left Williamstown, Ontario and moved back to England I was given a suitcase and told to put all my things in it. I could take whatever would fit in that suitcase. So there I was at age 6, choosing my things, what to keep, what to give away.
I kept my black and white stuffed puppy and my copy of Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass which I had just been given for my 6th birthday by a little girl who lived down the road. It was a beautiful hard cover book, sort of pale yellow, with greenish black figures of all the characters from the story. And of course, color plates of John Tenniel‘s illustrations. …at least I think I kept my stuffed puppy, or maybe it didn’t fit – but I certainly carried it in my heart if not in my suitcase.
That brown leather suitcase became really important to me and every time we moved, I put my things in it. It was that suitcase that I gave to my friend for safe-keeping, years later, with all my poetry and stories inside.
For the past 13 years I’ve been using a different suitcase. A big, blue canvas bag I bought in Hungary in 1999. It’s carried my things across the Atlantic 5 times, and certainly looks worse for the wear, yet I seem unable to part with it. Last year I started taking it to festivals, as it’s big and roomy enough to take all my camping gear – even a small tent – as well as a duvet and pillow!
It’s been patched more than once, and this time I used duck tape as I plan to retire it from trans Atlantic flights and buy something new for my next jaunt, something smaller. Something that will just carry a few essentials for a holiday rather than my whole life.
How about you? Do you have a favorite suitcase?
While you ponder that, here’s a video about a musical suitcase!
Related articles
- Travel in Style – Retro Style Suitcases (inaccessory.com)
- Suitcase symphony (popwuping.com)
Alison Amazed 
When I went to Uni I made a comment to my dad that I needed some kind of case to keep letters in & things and he found me a small, old brown suitcase. It’s probably more child size / hand luggage but I love it. I still have it 20 or so years on. It is now like a treasure box, important parts of my life live in it x
That’s wonderful! Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Wondering where that suitcase came from!
I think it was one of the Boston’s.
In 1916 my great uncle went to war his possession’s in a suitcase marked with his initials. That now sits at home with my family tree research in.
Love your post.
Amazing – the history a suitcase can hold – just by being a suitcase. Thanks for stopping by and commenting and loving my post!
Pleasure as always
Now I remember the suitcase. A Boston family case. Had address in white paint on it because it travelled on the Saxonia with us when we came to Canada in 1955.
That’s right! And metal hinges that expanded to make it bigger!