The End of an Era...Well, that's a bit dramatic, but kind of

So my friends, the time has come.  Actually, it had really been a long time coming.  My college days-Vera Bradley bag has officially kicked the bucket.

This needed to happen approximately 1 year ago, but I waited.  For what, I don't know, but I did and it got me thinking about all the things that bag and I have been through.  And It's a lot.

For the monthly visits from Blacksburg to Philly all throughout college, this dear bag was there.  It has gambled in Las Vegas, sailed in the Caribbean a few times and lived in New York City.  For my visits to friends in Europe while studying abroad, for a romantic Parisian getaway, and for a visit to a dear friend living in London, this bag carried my most treasured items. It has been to Camp nearly 1000000000000+ time.  It carried my best friend's everyday jewels on the day she temporarily replaced them to wear her wedding baubles.  It has been to a Nascar race and to several horse races.  It has been throw in the trunk of too many cars to count, a pillow in the backseat during a road trip and in the back of a pick up truck.   And I'm sure I'm forgetting many, many other times this bag served me well.  

I loved that it was malleable, almost always fit everything I needed and was absolutely a "carry-on" size for airplanes.

But now it's dead.  Holes on the body where the handles attached, worn on the handles where you would carry it on your shoulder, faded and quite sad looking.  

I guess it was inevitable, but it did have a great run.

Better days.

(Well, kind of.  I took this picture from this blog, but this is what Vera looked like in the beginning.  Perhaps I'll post the "after" pictures...but no one likes seeing pictures of the dead.)

In it's place...

I got the large, regular handles in dark green (obviously) but mine has a zipper enclosure.

I also have the small, short handle Bean tote in navy that I had monogrammed and I love it.

I think Beanie will treat me as well as Vera did, if not better.