Introduction/What I carry with me

"Just one bag, my mom and I..." decided upon when hurriedly packing the evening before my trip to Rome (most things I do are in a hurry, yet I find that my best decisions and greatest creativity are born out of deadlines and self-inflicted, last-minute pressure). The process of picking just one bag for my impending trip was cumbersome; after all, I love having options when I travel and loathe being "forced" into an outfit due to lack of variety in packed items. At Temple I normally switch my bags and wristlets daily in order to avoid fashion faux pas...browns, blacks, whites and colors and patterns somewhere in between...and to accessorize tastefully. The ritual daily switching all-your-things-from-one-bag-into-another-just-to-go-with-your-outfit may sound constricting and pointless to some (men), but most women understand it's simply a process of necessity. I don't mean to go on a tangent, but thinking about bags, I can't help but allude to the movie, "The Devil Wears Prada." I loved not only how the world of fashion was portrayed in the movie, but also the idea that a bag, as well as all accessories in general, is so much more than what meets the eye. These pieces are not only for utility, nor portability, but rather pieces of iconography and extensions of one's self. Quite a thought, but certainly not far fetched. I digress.

Back to my large, white bag in which we chose for my trip. As an only child, my parents and I make many important decisions together, such as what bag would go with the most outfits WE packed for my trip (This is not to say, however, that I lack independence nor the ability to take care of myself. Quite the contrary. I simply have found that many times their advice IS the best advice). My mother and I picked the white bag because it seemed to be the most versatile item, a staple for many outfits, and would be useful for lugging my weighty textbooks (yeah, right) to and from school in Rome. So far, the bag has proved to be just that, and I am pleased with our (grave) decision. Inside my bag I typically carry multiple lipglosses, thrown from bag to bag with each aforementioned "switch," and numerous pens, which always seem to accumulate (why is that?). At times I hastily throw in my iPod, jewelery and antibacterial lotion as well (both my parents have bought me so many over time, I think I could give them out to my peers for their own germy protection).

However! The most important thing I ALWAYS carry with me is my planner. I love organization and lists... without them, there would be no way I could manage my life. Since I love to be involved, pursue my many interests at once, and honestly cannot say "no" when it comes to volunteering for something (I need to work on that one), I have made sure to join/do everything I wanted to do at Temple University. I am captain of the Diamond Gems Dance team, an active member in my sorority, producer/anchor for the past three years on our school's cable show, hostess at maggiano's and stellar scholar (except in anything science-related). Additionally, I love to keep up with a ridiculous number of people, have power lunches (I think I'm 30) and love meeting new friends...to introduce to my other friends. Needless to say, without being super-organized, there's no way I could survive. I don't rattle off my accomplishments to simply toot my own horn, but rather to emphasize how important organization is in my life.

I remember the few times I forgot my agenda in high school how upset I got. My mom even begrudgingly drove it over to the school once or twice. Without my agenda...or lists... I feel a lack of purpose and am most certainly not as productive. So when I arrived in Rome for this program sans agenda, you can imagine my panic. Yet, it's absence has not been entirely a loss... It's actually taught me to relax a bit and assimilate into the Roman lifestyle. Many things are done slowly and not everything is tropo serio. Life can be piano, piano: one step at a time.