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I Spent $600 on a Suitcase, and It Was the Best Decision I've Ever Made


When I first caught the travel bug, I was a college sophomore with only about a half dozen Caribbean family vacations under my belt. Then, within a matter of 18 months, I took my first trip across the globe (to Dubai), which was followed by five more international excursions (through China, across European cities, and then a brief stint in South Africa.) During that time, I not only discovered my love for travel, but I also realized my $200 3-piece luggage set—the one with the cute red elephants that I had purchased my freshman year—simply wouldn’t cover my frequent-economy-flyer aspirations. What I didn’t know is that this would lead me on a journey through the vast, expensive world of premium suitcases.

I was looking for a bag that was durable enough to weather aggressive baggage handlers, simple enough to keep for years without it feeling dated, and compact enough that I could lug it around with no issue. Plus, I had to feel comfortable investing significant money into. I was familiar with the big-name, super-popular dedicated luggage brands, and also open to discovering new names stocked at department stores. I exhaustively browsed through reviews from travel bloggers, magazines, and e-commerce sites; I even censused my friends about their experience with different brands.

Eventually, I settled on Briggs and Riley’s Large Upright Duffle bag, which retails for $599. It’s an all-black, 29-inch piece of luggage that alone weighs 11 pounds. Out of all of the bags I looked at—hard shell, soft, traditional—it was, by, far the biggest, something that was extremely attractive to me, as I planned to spend extended periods of time living out of my suitcase.

Briggs & Riley Baseline Upright Tough Duffle Bag, $599, Amazon

The simplistic, but functional design was another major plus: It has a large main top compartment that I can put my clothes in, and another spacious section right below that can hold toiletries, shoes, and other things.

Briggs & Riley Baseline Upright Tough Duffle Bag, $599, Amazon

This was the most money I had ever spent on any single item. (It was also the first time I spent an entire paycheck.) I remember begrudgingly handing the store attendant my money and hoping on the subway back to Brooklyn with a bag that cost the same as my monthly rent. As soon as the transaction was over, I was overcome with fear: My parents and siblings had discouraged me from making such a large purchase while still in college; now, my bank account’s balance felt even more unsettling.

I tried to cure my early-manifesting buyer’s remorse by going through the usual arguments—it was an investment, I wouldn’t have to replace it for years, I had a warranty, and so forth. All my doubts and nerves started wane as soon as I started traveling with my new bag.

The inaugural trip was also my first time in Europe—and while on it, I started to realize how big of a difference good luggage makes. Yes, the basic functions (it holds things, it zips shut) are pretty much the same, but the fabrication is where you can tell how much you’ve spent. I no longer worried about the chaotic struggle most bags go through at the airport because of the bag’s abrasion and water resistance. The lifetime repair warranty was even more reassuring.

It’s been three years now since I purchased my big, black $600 duffle bag, and I’m still reaping the benefits of my version of an “investment piece”: For my corporate friends, that might mean a designer handbag—but for me, someone who’s turned travel into a habit, this feels like something worth putting my money into. When I think back about all the places I’ve traveled and the ease for which I was able to do it, I understand the value of spending on something that will not only compliment but also enhance my chosen lifestyle.

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Cast Members and Celebrities Are Praising the Decision to Cancel Roseanne


On Tuesday, May 29, ABC made the swift decision to cancel the Roseanne reboot after its star Rosanne Barr went on a racist Twitter rant that compared Valerie Jarrett, a former Barack Obama aide, to an ape.

In a statement, Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, wrote, “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”

The decision came just hours after Barr wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” According to NBC News, the tweet is in reference to an online claim that Obama’s CIA spied on French presidential candidates. Barr’s tweet was in response to another Twitter user, who claimed Jarrett helped Obama “hide a lot.”

Following Barr’s tweet, several cast and crew members on Roseanne spoke out to denounce her words. Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer on the show, said in a tweet prior to the cancelation announcement, “I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC.”

Sara Gilbert, who played Barr’s daughter Darlene on the ABC sitcom and is a producer on the show, also wrote that Barr’s comments are “abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show.”

Gilbert added, “This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love — one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.”

Emma Kenney, who played Darlene’s daughter on the show, wrote on Twitter, “I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable.”

Danny Zucker, who wrote for the first iteration of Roseanne, wrote, “I wrote on the original ‘Roseanne’ where we used to denounce nativism, racism & homophobia. Nauseating to see what she’s become. Looking forward to continue not watching this show.”

Other celebrities have tweeted out their support for the decision to cancel the show, including Minnie Driver, who currently stars in the network’s show Speechless. “So proud of @ABCNetwork for having the ethical compunction to cancel #Rosanne despite the show’s huge numbers,” she wrote on Twitter. “We too make a show about a middle class family, come and watch us instead #speechless.”

Dan Fogelman, the writer and producer of NBC’s This Is Us, also shared some praise for ABC’s decision on Twitter: “Good for you, ABC. We’re friends again.”

Shonda Rhimes tweeted a simple “thank you” to Dungey for the decision to drop the show.

Debra Messing, who is starring in a revival of Will And Grace on NBC, wrote, “I just heard #rosanne is cancelled. My reaction— tears. I am so relieved and grateful. The hate that has been spewing from those in Trump’s orbit has really taken a toll on all of our souls and psyches. I didn’t believe it would happen. I had lost faith. Thank you @abc.”

Actress Zoe Saldana tweeted her disgust with Barr’s statement, writing on social media, “Shame on you @therealroseanne and @ABCNetwork @RoseanneOnABC Not a single apology can get me to respect your despicable racist character. #EndRacism in #mainstream media NOW!!!”

Director Ava DuVernay praised Dungey for her decision, writing, “For the record, this is Channing Dungey. Sitting on top of your world like a Queen in full judgement of your garbage and taking it out.”

Related Content: ABC Cancels ‘Roseanne’ After Racist Twitter Rant





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'This Is Us' Season 2, Episode 10 Recap: Randall Makes a Surprising Decision


Tonight’s This Is Us episode was all about Randall, who is, hands down, the superior Pearson sibling. So, naturally, this episode was the best of the three centered around the trio. And by that, I mean it was gut-wrenching AF. Here’s what happened (spoilers ahead):

We open this episode with Randall being the Best Dad Ever. He cracks iPad jokes, helps Déjà with her school project, praises Beyoncé randomly—I’m ready to give Sterling K. Brown the Emmy right now. I don’t know which Emmy—just the Emmy.

But Déjà and Randall’s moment is interrupted by Déjà’s birth mother, Shauna, who shows up abruptly at the house and demands to see her daughter. She’s out of jail—the charges against her were dropped—and now she wants Déjà back. Of course, she can’t just walk out of Randall’s house with her daughter: She has to go through the social worker first. Oddly, though, it’s Déjà who has to tell her mother this, driving home the point that she’s actually the adult in their relationship. Oof.

Linda, Déjà’s social worker, tells Randall and Beth she’s recommending to the courts that Shauna receive custody. Understandably, they’re pissed, and they tell Linda they’ve hired a lawyer and will fight to keep Déjà in their house. It’s a tense argument, but Beth looks bomb as hell, which is all that matters.

Because everything’s connected on this damn show, Randall can’t help but have flashbacks to his relationship with William, who Rebecca purposefully kept out of his life for years. It’s clear he’s starting to have second thoughts about fighting so hard to keep Déjà from her birth mother. This is all so heavy-handed, but Sterling K. Brown can act his way out of a paper bag, so I’m here for it.

We then watch a flashback of William actually finding the Pearson’s house back in the day; he desperately wants to knock on the door and demand to be a part of Randall’s life, but he doesn’t. He tells Randall he didn’t think it was right to knock and blatantly go against Rebecca’s wishes. It’s honestly hilarious how cyclical this friggin’ family is. Like, in what world can you be like, “Wow, this exact situation happened to my father 25 years ago!” Ultimately, this causes Adult Randall to realize he and Beth can’t keep Déjà from Shauna. Surprise, surprise!

Their goodbye is emotional. I’m bawling. Adult Randall is the greatest human on this show. Randall and Beth jointly decide to foster another child again—and it’s implied a young boy is on their radar.

Cut to Teenage Randall: He’s thumbing through Ivy League college applications. It’s obvious Jack wants him to go somewhere fancy, like Harvard, but Randall appears to have an interest in Howard University, a historically Black college. (For context: We’re revisiting the same frame of time as the last two episodes—the events leading up to Kevin’s football injury.)

Randall and Jack arrive at Howard University for a tour. They meet Randall’s friend, Keith, who takes him for a “real” tour of the school with his friends, leaving Jack behind. I don’t know what the hell is about to happen, TBH. Randall is dumfounded at the fact there are no white people at the school.

In the car ride home, Randall explains to Jack that he feels out of place all the time. The implication here, I think, is that Randall doesn’t feel this way at Howard. It’s an awkward, emotional conversation, because Randall doesn’t want Jack to think he’s responsible for making him feel off-balanced. Jack seems to get it, though, but their moment is interrupted by the news of Kevin’s injury.

Adult Kate, Adult Randall, and Adult Kevin’s storylines have all lined up at this point, and we’re picking things up now with Kevin arriving at Randall’s house disheveled and strung out. Remember, we left things two episodes ago with Kevin about to tell Randall he’s an addict, but Randall interrupts with the news concerning Kate’s baby.

Randall immediately calls Kevin out for looking like “hell” and goes to call Kate. Kevin gulfs down a vodka-and-orange-juice—in the afternoon—hugs Randall’s kids and leaves abruptly.

But he’s not alone: Randall’s daughter, Tess, secretly sneaks into the backseat of Kevin’s car. He’s driving drunk—speeding and swerving like a maniac—is pulled over by a cop, and gets arrested for a DUI. All with Tessa in the back seat. Oh my God.

Parting thoughts: Enough with these whiplash endings, This Is Us!

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Obama Slams Trump's DACA Decision in Powerful Facebook Post: 'This Is About Basic Decency'


Barack Obama made it clear before he left office: If the Dreamers program ever came under attack, he’d have something to say about it. On Tuesday, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s orders to end DACA, the former commander in chief stayed true to his word.

On Tuesday afternoon, Obama shared a powerful Facebook post defending DACA (short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a federal program he created in 2012 to protect undocumented immigrants who entered the United States illegally as children from deportation. The program also offers its beneficiaries, known as Dreamers, such basic necessities as driver’s licenses and work permits.

Though U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday called DACA an “open-ended circumvention of immigration laws,” Obama pointed out there’s more to it than that.

“This is about young people who grew up in America—kids who study in our schools, young adults who are starting careers, patriots who pledge allegiance to our flag,” he wrote. “These Dreamers are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper. They were brought to this country by their parents, sometimes even as infants. They may not know a country besides ours. They may not even know a language besides English. They often have no idea they’re undocumented until they apply for a job, or college, or a driver’s license.”

Trump’s call to end DACA jeopardizes the futures of around 800,000 people who benefit from the program. Obama didn’t mince his words, calling the decision “wrong,” “self-defeating,” and “cruel.”

“To target these young people is wrong—because they have done nothing wrong,” he wrote. “It is self-defeating —because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel. What if our kid’s science teacher, or our friendly neighbor turns out to be a Dreamer? Where are we supposed to send her? To a country she doesn’t know or remember, with a language she may not even speak?”

“Ultimately, this is about basic decency,” Obama continued. “This is about whether we are a people who kick hopeful young strivers out of America, or whether we treat them the way we’d want our own kids to be treated. It’s about who we are as a people—and who we want to be.”

Plenty of current and former lawmakers joined Obama in standing up for DACA, including Hillary Clinton, who tweeted that “we’ve got to fight with everything we’ve got” to defend the program.

“Subjecting Dreamers to mass deportation is part of the bigoted policies that are a cornerstone of @realDonaldTrump’s admin,” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D.–Mass.) tweeted.

You can read Obama’s full Facebook post here.



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