apparently, memory's not the only thing I have in common with goldfish

I've had several gym bags in the past 3 years. The first year, I started with a standard-issue gym duffel. It was okay, but it was sort of ugly. Then I won a service award at work, and it came with a gym bag. I used that one for a while, and I liked that it had a separate compartment for shoes, but it was long and unwieldy. Then I'm pretty sure a cat peed in it, and that was the end of bag #2.

Bag #3 was a giveaway at a product release party...a mid-sized tote bag which really worked quite nicely. A couple months after I started using it, a large bottle of shampoo lost its cap in there and I couldn't use it anymore. Even after repeated washings, the shampoo still made a gluey mess all over my clothes. Bag #4 was another tote bag, but it was designed to be a reading bag for the beach. In order to fit a pair of shoes in there along with the workout clothes, I had to put things in a specific order, and I'm not one for specific order after I've worked out. It would be fine on the way to the workout, but on the way back the shoes were always perched precariously on the top and poking into my armpit.

So that's why, last week, I went looking for a new gym bag. I had exhausted my bag supply, so I went to Land's End looking for a tote bag with a zipper. Behold!

But...well. There's three sizes. I ruled the small one out right away, but was stymied by the dimensions on the other two. After a few minutes' hunting for a ruler, I shrugged and got the big one (in red). The bigger the better, right?

Well, this thing arrived yesterday, and it's friggin' GIGANTIC. 14 1/2 inches at the base, about a foot and a 1/2 tall, and a good two feet of zipper at the top. It looked like I could fit a body in there, I swear. Two cats slept in it last night. It's huge. I thought about returning it in favor of the middle size, but decided to load it up this morning anyway and see how it did.

You know how goldfish grow larger if you put them in a larger tank? My stuff does, too, apparently. After I put my workout clothes, shoes, snacks, iPod, water bottles, lunch, hair supplies, and workout routine papers in the bag, I was surprised to find not a whole lot of room in there anymore. All the side pockets were full, and I could maybe have fit another set of workout clothes or a bathtowel in there, but not both. The bag didn't look quite so huge anymore.

Well, now I'm off to try to cram it in a gym locker!

I seriously need a new bag and have needed one in like forever. The current one is a napsack and orange and well it takes all my effort to just get my shoes in after my workout clothes, waterbottle and mp3 player get in there, lol.

But I haven't found one that I like yet...the search continues!

joy, i totally understand your bag saga. where IS that perfect bag? ;)