The Making of a Work Bag

 

As I waited to learn whether or not I would get my job at the church, one of the things that gave me great hope was the practice of making little idea and wish lists of things I hoped to put together if and when the job became mine.

                One of those lists? Designing a mobile office in a work bag, because I knew I’d need a core collection of items that would always be gathered and ready to go at a moment’s notice. I have a home office, I currently have a temporary desk at the church, and eventually I’ll have an office at the church. But in this role, I’m often on the go – visiting people in homes or hospitals and having meetings at coffee shops and restaurants.

                Today I thought I’d show you what I have (so far) in my work bag. I put so much thought into this project. Weeks and weeks of perusing ideas and hunting for just the right things. Want to see?

                The bag itself. When I was little, I used to call backpacks “packbacks.” Sometimes I still call them that just for fun. And this is exactly what I wanted for a work bag. I wanted something fully contained, so I wouldn’t risk items falling out along the way – and so they would be protected from weather when I walked in and out of buildings in snow or rain. I chose this bag in light dusty pink/gray purple, and I love it. I chose it because it is on the bigger side, and you know me: I need to put a lot of things inside it. It’s also water repellent, which is important when I live in unpredictable Indiana. It has lots of compartments, which I love, and that includes a padded laptop compartment. That saved me from buying an additional computer bag to tuck inside. It has a charger port built in, but we did have to purchase a separate battery pack to attach to that. I didn’t have that on my hurry-to-buy list, but Ryan surprised me with it one day! He chose this one, and I’m excited to have it. The bag has backpack straps, but also a top carry strap and a back luggage strap that can slip over an extended pull handle on a suitcase. While overnight travel is unlikely to be the norm for me, it’s nice to know I can add it to luggage if needed. It also has two water bottle holders, which is really important since I drink over 100 ounces of water a day and need to make sure I always have it with me!

                Water bottle. Speaking of water consumption, I also purchased this 32 ounce sports water bottle (in blush – though there are other colors) to carry with me. For the last several years, I’ve used stainless steel water tumblers with straws, and while I love them and will continue to use them at home, they are not leak-proof for travel. This one is spillproof and fits in the side pocket!

                Day planner. I have a beloved day planner that I’ve used for a few years and have shared about on here, but I needed something in a little different format to fit my work life. I found this one that was exactly what I needed for keeping track of personal and work events! I chose the Tree Season cover, because it reminded me to grow my roots deep in the Lord and then thrive in the place where He has planted me! I love the big monthly calendar spread, where I can easily keep track of appointments, and the daily list view inside to keep track of chores, prayer requests, events, and more! I’m still learning how to best use it, but I love it. And it fits perfectly inside my bag.

                Erasable Gel Pens. As you might remember from a recap post a few days ago, Ryan purchased these gel pens for me, which I love because they write well – and they erase! So if I need to change something or if I just make a mistake in writing down an appointment, I can change it without scribbles. I can also color code, and we don’t need to spend much time explaining why THAT is important. (I already owned a little pencil bag that I just tucked inside one of the pockets of the backpack so it can hold the pens.)

                Bible Case. Remember Bible cases? They were hugely popular when I was in high school, and though I don’t use one anymore, I did want one to protect my travel Bible. I chose thisone in pink, and it is perfect. It’s actually bigger than my Bible by quite a bit, but that works out well for me, because then I can also carry a little spiral-bound journal (that I already had on hand) for note-taking and brainstorming. I put them both in the case and they stay nice and safe in there. This case is also great for holding receipts, notes, and other loose items so they don’t get buried in the bottom of the backpack.

                Erasable Colored Pencils. My Bible case has some pockets for pens and highlighters, so I put in the erasable colored pencils Ryan gave me for Christmas. I had planned to use them in the day planner, but they didn’t write vividly enough, so now I use them as highlighters for my Bible!

                My Travel Bible. I have mentioned this on the blog before, but last Easter, Ryan gifted me this Bible that I use when I speak. It’s a journaling Bible where I can mark passages after I have used them in speaking – and I can also mark passages I might want to read or share with people when I’m visiting them in the hospital or in a time of grief. This Bible is much smaller than my regular study Bible, so it’s lighter to transport on a regular basis.

                That is my mobile office…so far! I have a few more things I’d like to add along the way. I still have this little bag/case on my wish list – not so much for carrying pencils and pens, since I have another bag for that, but more to carry little office supplies – like some tape, sticky notes, small scissors, or paperclips. I’ve already found that I need those while out and about, so I’ll work on that soon. I also want to add a small collection of some protein bars in case I find myself out longer than I planned to be gone; hopefully this will keep me out of Snickers from a vending machine! I have some spare reading glasses but need to get a protective case for them so they can live in in my backpack.

                The bag still has room to add things as needed; right now I have a folder with some handouts I need to give to people who weren’t able to be at a meeting last week, a Bible study binder so I can do some prep work, and I did have my current book I’m reading tucked in there in case I had spare time. I keep my laptop cord in there, too, so I always know where it is when not in use.

                I love this little mobile office. It sits packed beside my desk at all times, so if I need to leave in a hurry, I have everything I need to do my job. And whether I’m working at home, at church, or in a coffee shop, I have all the essentials!