School

I resented the callouses I had on my hands when I was in primary school. My school bag was heavy with books and I walked 2kms to school and 2kms back home which took a toll on my young hands.

My path home crossed a park built in the middle of a large traffic circle, large enough to have swings, slides and other playground equipment. It was roughly half-way between school and home and I sometimes lay my bag down and enjoyed a few minutes on the swings.

When I went to high school, school rules allowed me to have a shoulder satchel and the callouses on my young hands disappeared.

Work

My Mom gave me my first briefcase, a beautiful burgundy one with brass combination locks. It was symbolic of growing up and starting my career in the business world. I used it with pride. Eight years later I replaced it with a laptop bag. This was another symbol for me, this time I had graduated to being mobile. To my younger self, these seemingly small things were important for what they stood for.

I still have the burgundy briefcase and it’s now used to store important documents.

Travel

I’m on a mission to travel lightly. I tend to over-pack as I provide for unexpected social situations and weather conditions. I am on a mission to eventually pack “only vows, happiness…and the flower that sweetly shows nestling lightly” in my hair.