I Heart JanSport

I am a JanSport backpack. My human counterpart purchased me at Costco before her Junio year of High School in the summer of 2000. We finished high school together and I went with her to her first year of college at Brigham Young University of Idaho. I was there with her when she moved across state to Boise and began a new journey. We eventually went back to school together and I was so proud when we finished 5 years later with BA in Elementary Education. But it wasn't all serious school work. We went on many foreign adventures too. We went on our first trip to Jamaica together, and I was there for the return trip the next year when she was married.
That was only the beginning. Since then, I have been to Cayman Brac; Bonaire; and Utila, Honduras with her. I have always been intrusted to carry the important stuff--passports and snorkel mask, as well as inflight entertainment like her iPod, book, and magazines. We have also gone on countless road and camping trips and attended many family get togethers, together. After her Husband, I am her constant companion. It should come to no surprise then that I accompanied her on her frist trip to San Diego. What happened on that trip, however, shocked us both.
While going through the security checkpoint, the TSA agent decided to take a second look at my contents. It was then that he did the unspeakable. He broke me.
To be honest, I had contracted "zipper disease" sometime before, but my human was well aware of my precarious position and knew to be gentle with me. The TSA agent was rough and frankly didn't care. We were heart broken. We were not sure of the implications of that single action that day. Would this be the end of our travels and adventures together? We were frightened at the posibility. Somehow we managed to make it back from SD. I was emptied and put aside. It was then that it hit us both...I was not going to be going to Germany with my human. She had been looking forward to this trip her entire life, and here it was staring at us only a couple of months away. Even though my human would agree, I felt like a failure.
She went without me. It was the hardest thing for both of us, but we both new it was the right thing to do. I fully expected her to replace me upon her arrival. What she did instead took my breath away. She boxed me up and sent me away.
What I didn't know was that she had done some research on the internet and found that while 'zipper disease' is considered a result of normal wear and tear, JanSport will repair it if possible, or replace the pack if they can't. Could they really fix me up as good as new? I kept my straps crossed for good luck.
Two weeks later, I returned to my human in better shape than I had ever been in. My new zipper is bigger, thicker, and stronger than any of my previous zippers and I am confident that it will last a lot longer than my original zipper.
Now that my human and I have been reunited, we are closer than ever. We are ready to take on the world! (again) and are currently enjoying our second trip to San Diego. No TSA agent can keep this pack down!