The End of an Era

At the beginning of August I spent a week in York, which was amazing, as always. I saw a lot of my friends and had some shenanigans. But what I'm going to talk about here is almost tangential to my time there.

On the Sunday I was in York, I had most of the day to just hang out alone. So, in the morning, I packed up my suitcase and walked into town. I spent all day walking around, drinking coffee, and reading a book in the Minster Gardens. It wasn't until the end of the day that I realized my suitcase had broken. The rubber casings on one of the wheels had fallen off as I dragged it across the cobblestones that make up the center of York. Luckily, my trusty suitcase wasn't so broken that I couldn't get home with it later in the week.

Marissa, you say, it's a suitcase; a good one, sure, but, still, it's replaceable.

Friends. I have had this suitcase since 2008 when I went to Germany as a high schooler. I have taken it to Sioux Falls every time I moved for school, I've taken it to NYC at least once, I think I took it to Ireland, I took it to Germany a second time, I took it to York when I moved there, I took it Florida, I've taken it to Ottawa, I moved to Boston in it, I moved to DC with it, I moved within DC twice with it. I'm sure I've forgotten some trips.

Much like Mrs. Bennet's nerves for Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, it has been my constant companion these many years.

And now, I need a new suitcase.

Because I am me, I looked fairly quickly when I got back for a new suitcase. I found the 2018 version, on sale, with free shipping, for less that half full price. Even if this one only lasts half as long, I trust it will not let me down--as bad luggage is wont to do. But, still. Ten years. That suitcase has been with me, or in my general vicinity, for every major event in my (semi-)adult life thus far.

I've replaced it and I think I can find homes for everything currently stashed away, but I'm still loathe to throw it away. It is the end of an era, as they say, and I can't quite bring myself to turn that page. I will. Eventually. But, until then, it will sit at the foot of my bed and house the biscuits I got in York.