Carry-On Packing - This Shiz Just Got REAL!

The next few days are going to be all about traveling.  EEK!

• Tomorrow: NYC for a meeting. Train there and back.
• Friday through Monday: Toronto for Canadian Thanksgiving. Yeehaw!
• Monday through Wednesday: Chicago for work.

I have about 2 hours and 45 minutes on Monday between when I land in Boston at Terminal E and have to be over at Terminal B for my flight to Chicago.  I had pondered going home quickly to switch bags... But with the rain lately, I don't want to risk it. So I have to pack enough on Friday to last me through next Wednesday.

And this is where we have a problem.

I loathe... LOATHE checking luggage. I will only do it if I am forced to. It is such a time suck. And lately my Tumi suitcase hasn't been reliable in making sure I don't ever have to check anything. It is a 'carry-on", however, shortly after I bought it, some of the airlines changed their carry-on measurements by "an inch here" and an "inch there." Which means my suitcase - my expensive suitcase - sometimes gets questioned at a gate. And I have to check it.

This very thing happened to me two weeks ago when I was in Chicago flying back to Boston. Waiting for luggage at Boston Logan really isn't fun. They have no installed TVs by baggage claim (in fact, they hang right over the carousel!) for one's amusement whilst they wait 30 minutes for baggage to be pulled out of the plane and loaded for owners.

So with this trip, I am packing my shiz LIGHT! This and a work bag are all I am taking to get me from Friday to Wednesday...

My Balenciaga Weekender. 

I did a test-run this afternoon... And I have everything in there I need. EVERYTHING! And there is NO WAY an airline can ding me for it...  Here's how it stacks up to my Tumi...

Smaller in every sense.