Where Journeys Begin: Retro Luggage Labels

It’s the time of the year again when travel bugs bite. Easter break is just around the corner, and my mind’s already started to wander far away to the slice of paradise I’ll be marvelling at – I’ll be waving bonjour from Vanuatu in a week’s time! Sapphire blue water, peaceful lagoons, spectacular volcano night tours, these are just an exciting preview of what’s to come on Lace n Ruffles when I return in May! 🙂

So I started researching about the trip (I’m a not a planner and more of a spontaneous traveller), and it got me thinking: Where does travel begins? Does your journey start at the moment you book? Or is it the moment you hop on the plane?

This is where I think my journey begins, all starts with curating my travel wardrobe, packing and choosing a stylish and durable suitcase that can go jet-set a few thousand miles with me. Here’s a dilemma: I’ve travelled with an adorable retro suitcase with no wheels, and I came to realise that dragging it through the jam-packed Shibuya train station just wasn’t the most enjoyable part of the trip.  Next flight to Seoul, I deserted the grand old lady and went for a functional black suitcase, yet some idiots decided that it looked too alike with theirs and took it on to their next transit flight. So the mission here before I hop on my next plane is to find a suitcase that ticks all boxes: style and practicality.

The other day I was browsing through an Etsy store that sells retro collectibles and it’s sparked this brilliant idea: why don’t I buy a reliable piece of suitcase and plaster it with retro luggage labels? It warrants travel with comfort and style, while it looks so uniquely me that no one should ever take it by mistake again, hopefully.

So here are what I picked up last weekend:

A Samsonite Cosmolite 81cm hardside large suitcase from Luggage Direct. The perfect colour for a South Pacific island holiday with a hint of retro vibe? Emerald green for sure!

These cute as buttons retro luggage labels I bought from various Etsy stores has taken me on a time travel journey through the 60s, 70s and 80s, and I wonder what the beautiful travel memories are behind them and their previous owners. Being a terrible hoarder of all things vintage, I’ve started collecting labels throughout my journeys too. They’re the visual diaries of the miles I’ve trekked, the evidence of my globe trotting tales.

So tell me dear fellow travelettos, where does your travel begins? Have you got a personal collection of luggage labels? Share them on my Facebook page here.

À tout à l’heure, mes amis!