I hate to admit it to myself but I think I have to buy a rolling laptop/book bag. You know, the kind that looks like luggage. With wheels. And one of those extendable handles.

I really hate those bags. They are firmly associated in my mind with Education teachers: frumpy, uncool, always with lots of “activities” planned for their classes that require lots of “supplies” (hence the need for the rolling bag). I see a middle-aged white woman in a long floral skirt and cardigan sweater walking across campus and pulling a rolling book bag behind her and I think: Education. And yes, if you are gathering that I have a general disrespect for the discipline of Education, well, I gotta admit that too.

Still, I think those ladies are onto something. In the past year I switched to a single laptop rather than two desktops (one at home, one in the office) so I’ve been schlepping my laptop to campus every day and it’s killing my back. The other day, as I laboriously made my way from my car to my office, I realized that I was carrying on one shoulder: my laptop, one massive anthology, two regular sized books, an umbrella, my lunch, a full water bottle, several fat file folders, and my purse. No wonder that, by the time I got home that day, I had strained my back.

So, I’m looking for suggestions: Anyone have a rolling laptop/book bag they love?

Bear in mind that I am a) totally unfashionable and b) cheap. I don’t want something super fancy or eye-catching — although I would certainly pay more for a bag made from natural or organic materials, or whatever green options there might be.

And you can also let me have it for bad-mouthing Education, if you want.