Fashion

Sometimes I say things like, “One of the reasons I am able to save money to travel is that I don’t spend money on other things, like shoes,” but then I look through my photos and realise that I have bought a lot of shoes in my life, so my point is moot. Almost all of these were bought on the road, and almost all of these died on the road.

If you’ve read this blog long enough, or have ever glanced at my Media/PR page, you know that I get very suspicious of companies. There is no paid advertising on this blog, nor are there any sponsored links (not even hidden ones, what you see is what you get). While I’m willing to work with companies and tourism boards for complimentary trips and tours (like my visit to London Cru a few weekends ago), I have no desire to participate in anything that does not keep up with the theme of This Battered Suitcase, or that I think would not be beneficial to readers. I also almost always turn down product reviews.

So when Tom emailed me, I responded politely but firmly. “I won’t write a post specifically about your bracelet, or even guarantee that I will put El Camino in the title of a post,” I wrote. And yet here I am, two months later, doing both of those things. Why?

Hi, my name is Brenna, and I’m an over-packer. I leave for Central and South America in 17 hours. Almost everything in my house is tucked away in boxes and stored in…

Havana, Cuba Here are some outfits Rikki and I wore in Havana last week; apparently I really dig red and white dresses (what can I say, I’m patriotic). Rikki and I both…