Pan-American Road Trip: The End of the Road For Two Old Friends

We met in 2010, and bonded quickly. Together, we traveled to: 

• Playa del Carmen, Mexico
• All over Ethiopia
• All over Caucasus Georgia
• Antigua and Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
• Mexico City
• Toronto, Canada
•  .. and multiple points in the US

 

I had to let them go this month. One, hopefully, to a new home by way of a thrift store donation. The other, regrettably, to its grave, as its body finally succumbed to years of hard labor as my portable office. 

My green, wheeled bag. Re-homed in Fairbanks, Alaska. May 2025. Credit: Mzuriana.

My portable office, expired after years of service, in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. May 2025. Credit: Mzuriana.

In the years since I bought the two bags, my green bag had outgrown airlines' current size restrictions for carry-on bags, and the backpack's weight and mass, empty, exceeded that of more modern backpacks. So their loss, while sad, opens the door to lighter, smaller bags.

For the southern portion of my Pan-American Road Trip, I will join the legions of travelers who seek The Perfect Backpack to carry most of my stuff. 

Maggi Fuchs is one such seeker.