Few of my Favorite Things

Brian J. Sullivan

Worn at each of its corners, my favorite green suit case still had two functioning wheels, albeit a bit wobbly. Its leather handle now a darker oily shade of brown still supports my tendency to over stuff it.

My suit case and I have been traveling together for the better part of 10 years. We have formed a certain bond, a mutual respect. We are on the road 30 weeks of the year. I have learned how to keep it packed for efficiency. When I return home, the first thing I do is to replenish any supplies and clothes. It sits by the front door like a puppy eager to go for a ride. We have been through a lot together and it would feel like betrayal not to take my green suitcase.

It rides behind me in my van, always accessible in a space reserved for a skin tight fit to keep it from flying forward in case of a sudden stop.

My radar detector with its electronic compass has come in handy more times than I can remember. Not only for the ineveritible speed traps, but more so for the compass in cities with winding streets and highways not aligned in North//South direction. It's simply another way to help check that I'm going in the right direction when heading into a city in which I've never been to before. While the sun is a great guide when shinning, rain and over cast days make it less dependable then my trusted compass.

I always use mapquest or one of the other similar type internet services for planning my route, but how do I know which way to go if I don't know where I am?

Sunglasses and water jug also accompanies me on all my trips.