My 13 hour jaunt home...

So, I am back in Charleston. For 13 hours. Today's theme is luggage.

In summary, I have been traveling almost weekly for the past 3 years. I was just thinking to myself last week, "WOW! My luggage sure has held up well- I have not had to replace it once yet!" Of course, I managed to be a carry-on traveler for most of the 3 years before the liquid restrictions came to be as a girl like me could not live without her 3.4 ounce bottle of Chanel Number 5 perfume. My luggage has held up well- a few signs of wear and tear but nothing major.

I was flying back to L.A. today. Great flight- painless. Good seat. First class. Nice person next to me that knew when to shut up :)

The most painful part of my travels is waiting for bag claim at Charleston (International) Airport. Yeah- you heard me... International.... I think we might have had one charter plane back in the 80's that take a group of senior citizens to the Bahamas or something. The process is so painful because it is sloooooower than Christmas. Now, I am a fairly impatient person but waiting for over 30 minutes to get your bag off an MD-88? Or worse yet, a CRJ? We aren't talking about a 777 people. (Kudos to those of you who actually understood my last 3 sentences). I imagine there are a couple stoners working the bag claim shift and wait to unload the plane after they finish off their doobie and bottles of MDG. "Duuuuuuude, I think the plane came in.... maybe we should walk over there and do something...." and, "Nooo dude, let me just call my girl first.... she is not happy about me passing out in the front yard last night."

So, the bags start rolling onto the carousel today. I see in the distance a bag that looks like mine (hey- it's black) but it is fully wrapped in bright YELLOW tape that says, "Handle with Care, Danger to Passenger" or some other alarming message. The bag looks beyond mangled and everything is staring at it in disbelief as it rolls by them. I see 2 girls to my left snickering at it as it passes them and I take a closer look only to realize it is my bag!

What to do, what to do.

Some people might have let the bag pass and go around and around and then pick it up later to save face.

What do I do? I yell, "Geez- how embarassing for that person! What a piece of shit." to which they laugh and agree and then I grab it off the carousel. Amateurs.

The story does not end here.

I start to feel nervous. My other bag (a garment bag) did have a couple small tears on the side when I checked it. My friend mutters, "Tiffany, isn't that your bag?" and points to a large plastic tupperware-ish container. Lo and behold, the side of my garment bag was ripped open and my nice business suits and one of my personal undergarments was exposed to everyone and was sitting in the container.

Really, guys. I could not make this up if I tried.

Without passing GO and without collecting $200, I left the airport and zipped directly to the store to buy new luggage. Hope my new pieces make out better tomorrow as I head out west again.....

Colorado, here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!