My family and friends know that I'm constantly searching for the perfect everyday purse. At first, I wanted a bag to hold everything.
My go-to purse for the longest time was this trusty Baggallini that sadly is no longer made, although it does look like this Everywhere Bagg is an upgraded version of my purse.:
Designed by flight attendants, the interior is roomy. There are plenty of slots and pockets to keep yourself organized, along with a removable coin purse/wallet:
And fill it, I did. It got too heavy, very quickly.
Then, I flitted around, trying smaller purses, in the hopes of just using a tote bag to carry stuff. I just couldn't find one that matched the slick design of this Baggallini.
Recently, I bought this "Mini" Flutter Cross-body purse:
The compartments are slick, although not as ingenious as the Baggalini. The water bottle holder on the side is great.
However, this type of bag also gets heavy very quickly, once loaded up. Let's just say my shoulders aren't happy with me.
When I volunteered at the Calgary Expo last month, I knew I needed something simple while on my shifts. I found this extremely compact Luggage Sling Safe handbag by Pacsafe:
It's tiny and holds all my essentials, with a bit of room to spare. I could even use it as a waist pack. Here's the bonus: there are several anti-theft features which is reassuring when you are out and about in crowds or traveling far from home. There are several locks, an RFID-blocking pocket for your passport, bank and credit cards and wire mesh throughout to stop purse slashers in their tracks.
I brought my trusty MEC dayback to hold my water bottles, snacks, hoodie and geek loot. My load was therefore evenly distributed.
You can see where this is going, can't you? My quest for the perfect purse is really a metaphor for streamlining my life.
I've learned two things that I've learned in this journey. First, my core purse can be small and simple, but it needs to be organized and secure. Second, all that searching for a perfect bag could have ended with me just switching between my already solid collection of day packs and tote bags depending on my travel needs of the day.
Solid core, flexible outside. That applies to so many areas of life, doesn't it?