It has been said that the contents of your bag say something about you. I thought why not have a little fun today, and check in with you guys about what’s in your bag.
I suppose many of us have not used our bags as much as we did. In the past, some of us would go meet clients. Others would work outside — in a cafe or at the library — from time to time for a change of scenery. I used to travel rather frequently and did my work wherever I found myself.
So yes, while we may not regularly use a bag these days, I believe many of us still have a portable office that is our bag.
Let’s start with the bag itself. What do you prefer to use?
A black backpack? A tote? Laptop bag?
I prefer a sizable red leather shoulder bag that has been called the “bottomless pit”.
Whatever your preference may be, the point of this exercise is to find out what we — freelance writers — consider essentials when we go out of the house to do some work.
So, what do I have in my bag?
I will have to share two separate sections for this.
First, the non-work essentials.
After all, even if work is part of the agenda, we can’t go without our comfort items, can we?
I always — and I mean always — have:
- my wallet
- a pack of facial tissues; quick side note — if you’re traveling in another country, trust me, this is even more important! I actually have been called a godsend in one of my trips as a nice elderly lady desperately needed tissues in the bus and she didn’t have any with her.
- my phone
- keys
- alcohol spray (even before COVID, I’d always have this)
- a bottle of water
- sunglasses
Second, the work-related items:
- laptop, of course
- pens — how many, I can’t really say
- a notebook or two
- chargers
- power strip; this I sometimes leave behind as more cafes have lots of wall outlets available now. In the past, though, this was a necessity. Take a look at an old post I wrote about this.
That’s it! I used to bring more, but I soon learned that all you really is a laptop and the charging cable. With these, you can get in your car, hop on a bus, a ship, or a plane and let the winds take you wherever. All the other things, you can buy if needed.
This reminds me of the freedom we had pre-COVID. While I may not be able to do all those things right now, I content myself with reminiscing and planning. And, trust me, my bag will be ready to go then.
How about you — tell me, what’s in your bag?
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