Sunday, August 11, 2013

My GPS Bag. Worth Every Penny.

I use my GPS...a lot. 

Even when I'm not traveling on vacation, I use it to get around whatever town, state or country I live in even if I've lived there for a year or more.  I rely on it.  Hopefully I don't rely on it to the extent of that older woman from somewhere in or near France, who a few years ago, relied on it so much that she followed it about 700+ kilometers out of the way.  When she started seeing signs in Eastern European languages for a trip that should have taken about two hours, she knew something was wrong.  Ya think?! 

Now that we just moved back to Germany I'm using my GPS frequently.  We don't have one installed in our van so we have a portable one named Michelle. 


Meet Michelle.


My need for organization and pragmatism mandated a bag to put my GPS in when I'm going to and from the car, and for storage at home since I don't normally leave the device in the car once I get home. 

Before we left the US, I stopped in a TJ Maxx store and store and saw a cute-small-thermal-tote for $3 so I grabbed it without knowing what I would use it for. 


It says, "Paris," has the Eiffel Tower on it...and pink heels.

I already had a bag for our family's passports.



We have a lot of passports:  we each have an official military passport, provided by the Army, and a tourist passport.



One day as I was running our of our temporary home (the Army hotel), I grabbed my new bag and put the GPS in so I wouldn't drop it!  Perfect.  The thermal part makes it more protective then ordinary totes.  The size is great.  It has just enough room for the GPS and a few other small articles, but not enough that I'm going to toss large, heavy items in there that might damage it.



I added a local map and some medicine. 

My husband grabbed it one day when we were going house-hunting.  As he strode through the hotel lobby, the friendly woman-behind-the-desk smiled and said, "Nice bag."  Men who have been married long enough usually take comments about pretty bags they carry in stride. 

 
If you use a portable GPS where do you store it? 
 
Do you look at a map before you travel or keep a map in your car in case you want to double-check the GPS route?
 
If you named your GPS what is it's name and why did you chose that name?