The Story of the Silly Suitcase

I want to introduce you to my suitcase.  He (yes it’s a “he”) was purchased in Ft Myers Florida about 6 years ago at a TJ Maxx.  He went from sitting on a dusty shelf, minding his own business to this crazy life where he never gets to rest!  I mean seriously.  I am constantly cramming it full and shoving it into over-head bins.  I’ve lugged it to Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.  Not to mention jet-setting nearly every other weekend across America.  The poor thing even has a squeaky wheel because he’s old and tired.  With all this activity, he’s developed quite the sense of humor.  Sometimes when I am packing, I can imagine the suitcase is sarcastically saying things like “not that dress again” or “we’ve seen that outfit before.” 

The smartass suitcase is right; I tend to pack the same key pieces on every trip. But you know what?  I have some breaking news for you: the people in the new city I visit haven’t seen that outfit!  Even if they have, I am not traveling for a fashion show, I am traveling to experience new places and meet new interesting people.  The crazier, the better!  Let me tell you: there are some wackadoos on the loose out there!

So who am I?  I am not so sure- but I can tell you who I am not.  I’m not a travel writer … heck, I am not even a writer!  I’m not one of those granola girls who has quit her job and chosen to live 3 years in youth hostels in Europe (although I do have travel envy when I read their blogs).  I’m not searching for anything such as the “best food truck” or “undiscovered beach houses”.    I am an average 30 something chick (not a very cool one) who happens to have the fortunate opportunity to be able to see new cities thanks to my boyfriend, Ryan.

You see, he travels for work and I am a travel sponge.  I sponge off his free trips and take advantage of his work opportunities.  Unfortunately, I have a real job and I have to work there as much as possible in between trips so I have to pick and choose the good ones.  After doing this together for 4 plus years, I have fallen in love with seeing as much as possible!  Experiencing the cultures, cuisines, and landscapes has given me “ants in my pants” – wanting to get out and see more. 

Blah Blah Blah ….. Enough about me!  The sole purpose of this blog is to share some of my pictures and adventures with friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else who is creepin’ on this site!  To show people that you don’t need a 7 day trip to have a great time.  You just need yourself and a suitcase- one with a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either. If you still have a pulse and you got nuttin’ to do, then stay tuned for some upcoming stories from me about Charleston, New Mexico, Montreal, New York, and Vegas!! 

Okay- I did it... I wrote my first blog!  As you can see, I am still getting my page up and running, so any comments, suggestions, and criticism is appreciated!  Seriously!

Jill Hepokoski