Ode to a suitcase

Itinerary:
Study abroad in Istanbul, Turkey: June-July 2010.
Semester-in-China: August 2010- December 2010.
CentreTerm, Vietnam: January 2011.

You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

               First to the intersection of east and west, then the ancient Orient                did you go
                        From Turkish scarves to Chinese silks
               What stories you can tell.

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!

               Your handle, bent and dented
                        caught in one too many crowded Shanghai fast-trains                            Wheels etched from miles of ancient Byzantine tiles

               Your zipper, stiff and stubborn
                        coated with dusty Mediterranean sea-salt
               Your once purple fabric now sun-bleached and frayed

You’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!
 Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!  

               Sunscreen, soy sauce, salt, and spicy chai
                        Lingering reminders of adventures come to pass
               Now battered and bruised, a travel weary veteran

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
       - Dr. Seuss