Hunting for a School Bag

Posted on the 11 January 2014 by Latinaprpro @latinaprpro
It suddenly hit me: I'm going back to school the week of 2/18!  This is the first time I go back to a college campus as a student, and not as a speaker.
It seems surreal that the last time I opened a college book or planned for a semester of classes I was in my 20s!
This time I am going with a completely different perspective and goal.  But one thing remains true: I care about my appearance. A lot.
I have already ordered a few sweaters from the GAP and have more than enough jeans or tights to get me through a semester.  I also have a few casual shoes that should be cute, yet functional, to walk across a quad without blisters.
But then it I started panicking: I don't have a school bag!
OH. M. GEE.
What am I to do?
I started looking through my bags: too big, too small, perfect but to expensive to take to school, and on   and on.
Then I started looking through Nordstrom's site (Ya'll know that I'm addicted to Nordstrom), and I couldn't find anything that didn't scream: spoiled-girl-from-West-Los-Angeles.
That was the last thing I wanted to convey with a bag this time around (when I was younger I don't think I cared as much).
Computer bags, I found, come in three distinct categories.  90% of which were aimed towards men. Women's bags were either aimed at color-blind teenage girls or pseudo-corporate-America career women.
Neither of these three options work for me.  Actually, I find these bags hideous at best.
So my goal is this over the weekend: to comb through more online shops until I find the "perfect" age-appropriate school bag that holds my computer, books, personal items, and camera.
The bag has to be functional, have enough padding to protect my items, and secure clasps/closures.
I prefer a tan or other more wardrobe friendly color, such as navy, black, or even brown.  The "details" are important, such as colored zippers, maybe a cool use of color blocking or patterned lining.
The bag also has to be light, so although I love leather, the best option is an easy to clean nylon that happens to also be water resistant.
I also have to use this bag while trekking across a school campus, so although I like single strap bags, I think it makes more sense to either have a messenger or cross body bag.
Lastly, and this is important, I HATE visible logos.  So any markings must be discrete and add to the style of the bag, not become the bag.
I hope this is not to much to ask...
I'll keep ya'll posted on my "School Bag" shopping journey.