They See Me Rollin’: My Week With a Wheelie Backpack
When I stretch, my body sounds like a bag of popcorn after being in the microwave for about 50 seconds. You could call me Rice Krispies because I snap, crackle, and pop. After years of living this way, I decided to make a change in my life. When my dad asked what I wanted for my 20th birthday I had one request: I’d like a wheelie backpack. Once that beautiful baby came in the mail my journey began and I’m here to share every triumph and every struggle from the past week of my life.
1. My back feels amazing.
Picking up my backpack used to cause my arms to physically shake. I may not be a bodybuilder but I like to think of myself as generally in shape. I drink calcium fortified orange juice and I can bench the bar so yeah, I’d say I’m pretty strong. I’d then carry the equivalent of a toddler on my back all day and it was exhausting. This was my motivation for getting the backpack and let me say, it has definitely paid off.
2. Stairs
Before this week, I didn’t think I’d encounter any problems while rolling my new JanSport around campus. I was proved very wrong the moment I stepped out of my apartment. You cannot just roll a backpack down a flight of stairs or pull it up behind you, especially because I keep my laptop in there and I was terrified of banging it around. The University of Pittsburgh has many stairs and while I’ve been able to change some routes to class, getting to room 229 on Monday nights is a struggle and I always feel bad for holding up the kids walking behind me.
This is how I feel about carrying my bag up the stairs but I’m sure the people behind me are making much worse faces.
3. No longer hands free.
Rolling backpacks have a handle. Seems pretty basic, but if you’re someone who likes to text while they walk (which is very dangerous and frustrating for everyone) then you will be left with only one hand to reply to your mom before she calls you 80,000 times. If your backpack doesn’t have a spot for your water bottle or you like to carry coffee around, you need to be wary of the fact that now you will have no hands available to open doors and you will have to rely on the kindness of your peers. Pulling my backpack behind me was definitely an adjustment…
4. …but there’s an intimate connection.
I now hold hands with my backpack wherever we go. I feel a connection to my JanSport and I hold onto him all the time. It gives you a warm feeling that you don’t get with the average bag. I feel like I’m pulling a tiny friend behind me and together, we can do anything.
Overall impression:
I love this backpack. Sure, people take pictures of me and I know I’m featured in a lot of snapchats, but that is a small price to pay for everything I’ve gained. I can have everything I need for the day right there with me and not have to worry about if a textbook is too heavy. I can look behind me and know that the little guy is there. With that, I’m gonna roll out.