Packing a Bag for a Final Summer Excursion
Oh, the lazy, hazy days of late summer. I get a little lost this time of year – endless sun confuses me, and all I want to do is dip in a pool and read a good (if slightly salacious) book. I remember the competing emotions of childhood summers: longing for lazy summer days to go on forever, but waking early in August to bike to school, checking the class list posted on the locked door. I’d learn if I was placed in a favorite teacher’s class, if I’d be cruelly separated from my best friend, and I’d start to dream of that first day of school and what jeans I would wear.
Do you have late-summer blues? Do back-to-school sales thrill or depress you? I’m not a mom, but for some out there, those ads are a blessed sign of structured days to come. Kristen, the writer behind Rage Against the Minivan, admits her hilarious top five reasons why her kids need to scurry back to class here, including binge-watching the not-so-kid-friendly Netflix series, “Orange is the New Black.”
What are your ways to beat the summer doldrums? A great way to embrace the sunny days is through travel, even if only to a new, unexplored neighborhood. Pack one of The City Farm’s bags – The Weekender if you’re staying overnight, or one of the Design Africa bags for a day trip, tucking into it all the necessities for exploring a new neck of the woods.
Handmade by artisans in Africa, these bags are great totes for a day exploring new places, or make beautiful back-to-school gifts for students to pack along notebooks, snacks, and a proverbial apple for the teacher.
Artisans carefully create the natural sisal and banana fiber satchels with hand-sewn cowhide leather handles. Which will you choose? The Wide Striped Khaki Satchel? The White Striped Satchel? Or the Camel Striped Satchel? Or one of each?
Where will you go for your last summer getaway? Tell us in the comments, or on Twitter: @TheCityFarm. If you have the itch to plan your days, hunt down some city guides or local bloggers to guide your adventure. But sometimes? After you’ve picked your general place, it’s great to turn off your smart phone, and let the day (or bus) take you where it will. The act of unplugging = an invitation to adventure. Pack accordingly.
