looking for the comfortable fit....

In these past few weekends, I have become quite resentful of packing overnight bags or for weekend trips. The truth is that I don't have a bag that is reasonably big for a lot of options - so I often find myself scratching my head, thinking of what to wear the following day(s). While convincing myself that the light bag will ultimately benefit my form in the long run, I often end up with more headache than needed, and definitely more late records at work.

I used to have this sturdy Ben Sherman weekender that was of just the perfect size - with every single feature you can imagine for a short weekend trip, such as designated compartments for toiletries and shoes - until my friend Dash broke it without replacement (Ehem!). Since then I have been looking for another that fits, and to my disappointment, I am faced with more annoyance and hassles before every single weekend trip.

I guess looking for a perfect fit is what we constantly do in life - something comfortable, like a keepall that can, well, keep all that we desire. Sometimes we know things don't fit just by looking, but most times, we often like to try them out - even though we many times we have to regretfully take all the stuff out and repack again. Relationships are just like that. Take my friend Viet, who we saw in Philadelphia. For years he bent himself backward, trying to fit into some conventionally expectation of a romantic partner with unexpected long-distance visits, romantic dinners accompanied by roses and piano recitals at luxury hotels, exclusive classical concerts, etc. They worked, to a certain extent, but those relationships never lasted, leaving him with quetions about his choice of girls. And then he met Minh - a down-to-earth girl with a lot of character and charms - and they fell in love just like that, organically and beautifully, without pretentious tactics. By staying true to himself, Viet has found a comfortable fit.

Is this process of constantly trying a nightmare? Yes, indeed, but at the end of the day, a perfect fit is most likely going to make us very happy. A sturdy bag carries a long way just like a fitting relationship that lasts for years... Just one thing though, a relationship carries with it a lot more emotional baggages than a bag (not that a bag doesn't come with emotional attachments, just less!) - how thick-skin can we be to constantly trying?

* Photo credit: Sir Sean Connery for Louis Vuitton - the new Waterproof Keepall.