July 16, 2018

I checked my duffel bag at the gate in France for the trip home. This was a special duffel I always tuck into my suitcase incase I am overweight on a trip, then I can just toss some my stuff into the bag and carry it on. Easy.

I planned to be over weight this time because I was purchasing a four flag holder, my “big trip purchase”. I put the four flag holder, my empty little backpack (purse), my Dublin river boots, my MGAA jacket and rain coat, my IMGA rulebook, a few clothing items and my very important “brain book” in the duffel with the holder.

My brain book is this small note book I keep in my daily bag and have running lists in, random notes, important information, odd passwords or user info (nothing anyone could decipher or “hack”), etc. It’s what I run my day to day life from and what I use to keep my brain straight.

It’s been a bit of a struggle since this bag has been lost to keep my life smooth and everything in order. Ah, no brain book! And of course I have wanted to play with my four flag holder!

My bag was lost on June 28th. It did not make the transfer in Ireland with the rest of the bags. It was found later that same night, the 28th sitting in Dublin. It sat there for over two weeks. I called the airline many times and was told it was still sitting in Dublin. I did some googling and it appears the baggage belts were broken in Dublin the day we went through and were down for quite some time. I was instructed to file a claim, which I did. It does take 60 days to hear back about that so we shall see what happens with that come September.

I called this morning and was told my bag was on its way to me and I was given a tracking number.

Oh yeah.

And I got home to find it sitting and waiting for me, not much worse for wear.

The bag itself was a prize I won at MGAA Nationals 2011 and a pretty significant piece of memorabilia in itself. It’s a decent little bag too and has held up well with lots of world and local travel. It now as a small rip in the stitching along the top but nothing a little sewing won’t fix good as new.

Hopefully I’ll be able to assemble my four flag holder later this week and put it into action!