Life In a Suitcase

The suitcase serves the following purposes to a lot of people: traveling and storage for unnecessary objects or clothes reserved for a specific season. The suitcase contains the most valuable and useless junk one will always want to keep. To business, professional, or leisure travelers, the suitcase serves no more than to store the essential.

For people starting a new stage in their life, it is the most valuable object. It carries both the past, present, and maybe the future along that handle that gets closer to breaking as the days pass by.

The suitcase serves as a symbol of major decisions, being moving on, or the accomplishment and completion of a previous goal.

The suitcase has character with its old leather bindings/shiny plastic graphic design covers, potentially identifying one's personality.

One can always notice the important carrier baggage to that lesser one from the type of lock it has. Some choose to spin it on a device (I always found particularly strange) that covers the suitcase with a plastic filter. For simpler travelers, the coded or key lock seems the best option. The damage on the suitcase is the key signifier of their previous travels. The stickers from previous flights and markings along with the coffee stains helps identify the lazy travelers who are willing to take the risk of their suitcase ending up in another country.

The quality of the hand luggage differs. Sometimes, the one found the previous evening in the basement is just as good as the newest one at the shop that seems unnecessarily expensive because of Big Ben's copyright photography from an unknown artist. This may appeal to some, it could serve as the first stage of their new life, i.e. their first purchase.

All in all, airports and train stations are filled with all sorts of people with different bags reflecting their destinations. The most exhausting/worthwhile one of them all, is when we manually reach the place we traveled to and leave the bag no further than a couple of meters from our side. It is the greatest feeling when that sigh along with that smile emerges and finally, we feel strong enough to leave the suitcase unattended. Depending on the personality or even the circumstances, unpacking becomes natural again, and re-decorating is the primary goal. Opening that suitcase is overwhelming for those who've waited to re-possess their things. For others, it's a habit, and therefore it may have no value but instead create more discomfort.

The process of packing and unpacking is second nature to some people, it seems like the easy stage of their travels. The difficult stage arises when one has to carry 60 kilos worth of junk in the underground/metro along with a backpack and small hand luggage. The underground shows the most mesmerizing travelers. From backpacking to moving to a new flat, there are all sorts that find a way to carry their belongings. The other day, a man used a trolly from the supermarket to push his way home. It is undeniably a brilliant and easy way, however, the question I was thinking was, "Where is he going to leave it?" One man in London was using the recycling rolling bins, whilst others just carry five different shopping bags with a large backpack. The suitcase appears to be obsolete in this context, yet still the safest bet.

People grow attached to their bags, it can encapsulate the entirety of one's life. The suitcase holds the memory of every day, and symbolizes the ability to go anywhere at any time.

How will you use this ability?