I finally bought myself the Crumpler Sinking Barge. I’ve wanted one for like forever, or about year now, which is forever in Erika years, but what ever.

Here’s the thing. I thought I needed this pack for quick trips to carry my lap top, camera equipment and a few essentials. I even made sure I bought one that would hold equipment I see in my future, such as that new Nikon 50mm f/1.4, that Ken Rockwell convinced me I needed in order to be truly happy. (He is right, I’m sure of it.) I’m all set to travel now, in one lovely backpack, instead of the three separate bags it usually takes me to achieve this.

But none of this is why I’m loving this bag so. I have yet to even load it. It is sitting in a living room chair, bringing joy to my life. How is it bringing joy to my life you might ask? Well that would be a good question. One I’m not sure I can even put into words. But I’m gonna try. For you.

You see I do this thing, where I regularly have a fake name made up. One that at any moment I can run away and assume. Sometimes I run away to the beach and surf and sometimes I run away to the mountains to ski. Other times I back pack Europe. I almost always, (almost) take Jeff with me, so I’m not sure why I even need this name. But I love this name. When I stop loving it, I make up a new one. And then I love the name again.

That’s what the Crumpler is doing in the chair for me right now. Just knowing that at any moment, I can grab my back pack, equipment and name and head the door for a whole new life, well that’s one of the things that keeps me so happy right where I am. So I guess just having the bag/name/plan means that I will never actually need them. Because as perfect as the bag/name/plan are, it’s pretty damn good here too.

I guess I just need options.