Baggage.

I was on my way to Europe last month – a trip that had produced the same amount of excitement as it did anxiety. We booked our travels to Paris, Amsterdam and Bruges with anticipation, but only a week after we paid the final amount due, my travel gal pal fell victim to the economy and lost her job. Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn’t cover job loss so we regrouped, repacked and focused on the trip at hand. We were going to Europe – everything else would work itself out when we returned.

I arrived at the British Airways counter at Logan International Airport to check-in with plenty of time to spare. As a traveler by trade and leisure, I’ve become a pro at packing. I can fit just about anything into a carry-on piece of luggage and I approach my packing with a simple philosophy: if I can fold it, I can pack it. My carry-on bag has traveled with me on domestic and international flights over the past year – it’s a lovely light-blue companion that is never far away. I reach into the overhead compartment and all of my belongings are accessible.

You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at the check-in desk and the attendant said, “Oh, that bag will never fit in the overhead compartment. We’ll have to check it.”

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