The post-holiday comedown is never fun, regardless of how much I try to look on the bright side (sure wasn't it great that we had a holiday at all/nobody died while we were away/the TV didn't crap out and fail to record our favourite programmes.)
I'm nearly done with the traditional après-hols washing mountain but the contents of my suitcase are still strewn around the bedroom like some kind of unorthodox oversized confetti as I try to square everything away, gingerly releasing cosmetics and liquids from their multi-layer protective wrappings of plastic bags and clothes while wondering if something will have spilled.
Happily there were no leaks, but my checked baggage didn't escape its plane ride home entirely unscathed: one of my mascaras inexplicably broke in transit, despite being in a make-up bag encased in a wooly jumper and padded by bras and socks and t-shirts and what not on all sides.
Which just goes to show that (a) checked luggage really does get fired around the place and (b) not even OCD suitcase Tetris champs can always avoid baggage mishaps.
Disappointing as that was, it wasn't my worst checked baggage experience. Not by a country mile. That dubious accolade goes to my trip home from last year's summer holiday, when my suitcase was actually broken into and literally every stitch of good clothing I owned and my phone were whipped out.
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Maybe I need to tweak my mantra to run something like “wasn't it great that we had a holiday at all/nobody died while we were away/the TV didn't crap out and fail to record our favourite programmes/nobody saw fit to nick my Penneys threads.” (Lookit, it's a work in progress.)
Even if it's just a contained make-up or perfume spill that hasn't destroyed your clothes, discovering something's gone awry with your luggage can definitely magnify a back-from-holliers downer.
What have been your worst experiences?
