"It was all very well for an Englishman like Mr. Fogg to make the tour of the world with a carpet-bag; a lady could not be expected to travel comfortably under such conditions." - Jules Verne

I suppose it was inevitable that when "the great travel bag hunt of '09" finally came to its conclusion there would be no travel plans on the Hebden horizon. Still, after months of finding bags that, in the words of Goldilocks, were "too big, too small, just not right" I'm so relieved to have actually found the bag...my bag...that I'm happy to just sit and stare at it for a while (though, for numerous reasons, a trip of some sort would be nice).

Given the fact that my other "good" travel bag...a behemoth, large enough for Mr. Heb and I to use when we moved to another country...is from Italian bag Gods Mandarina Duck...it's probably unsurprising that my quest ended with another of their bags. Along the way I may have been drawn to more "fashion" bags but, ultimately, I was looking for something that both looked good and was (gasp) functional...a decent-sized carry-on that would survive mis-treatment (both from me and the various airline employees it would come into contact with)...made from a relatively lightweight material that wouldn't reflect every stain that came its way...and of a shape that suggested that my clothes would reach my destination relatively wrinkle free.

The Isi travel bag can be carried by hand...over the shoulder...or slung across the body (the perfect option if, like me, you have the upper body strength of a child)...with an inside pocket...an outside pocket...a 38 liter capacity...and made of a waterproof treated nylon fabric. Sadly their website only offers the bag in a rather murky sage color...I was lucky enough to find mine is in a comforting, go-with-anything, shade of black.