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Shoes may be my ultimate passion but my love for bags is not far behind. Even as a little blonde, curly haired girl I would rarely leave the house with out a collection of luggage.

Before I had a schoolbag I would lug around plastic bags filled with ‘scraps of important papers’, handbags stuffed with tissues, coloured pens and purses, mostly empty or filled with fake money. I even owned  a little brown suitcase, my ‘bumper-case’, which would bump against my knees as I walked, hence the name.  This little suitcase was a prized possession and came with me wherever I went. It was filled with loved objects and toys, papers and books and my favorite dolls clothes. For a while it even lived under the bed, ready for me to grab, in case the house burnt down or I needed to make a quick get-a-way.

I may no longer have an ’emergency pack’ under the bed, and the things I deem important definitely have changed, but my bag lady instincts are still very much intact. I am always carrying stuff around with me, and my belief is that a bag can never be too big.

I marvel at those women who survive with tiny clutches and miniature shoulder bags and I am in awe of those rare ladies who seem to exist perfectly out of their pockets. While I do find it very unattractive to have bulging bumps sticking out of peoples jacket, jeans and shirts, I still don’t know how they do it.

After all the minimum amount I need is this: my purse filled with money and cards, my glasses in a case, tissues (I always have a runny nose), a book/magazine, a notepad and pen (I am a writer after all), my phone, my calendar and a little pouch filled with toiletries (well, cream really a I have eczema) and of course my keys.

In addition to the essentials comes what ever I need for the day, college paperwork, laptop, lecturing notes, a variety of pens, a flask of tea and a bottle of water, snacks and fruit, a bag for the shopping,  maybe a cardigan etc. So I normally leave the house laden down like a pack mule.

I’ll never be a minimalist and maybe by lugging around all these items I am carrying a little bit of home with me, in true bag lady style. And I don’t really have a problem with it either, but on day like today, when I need to pack for the weekend, my overnight case and the amount of things I want to bring never seem a perfect match. And in moments like these I dream of Mary Poppins and her wonderful carpet bag, wondering where I could get one of those.