As I waited in the airport terminal, I watched the masses of people around me reaching out to the turnstile to yank their luggage off the conveyor belt. A sea of black and navy luggage with the occasional brightly colored one standing out among the usual colors, I waited patiently for mine to drop from the jaws of the Airport Luggage Monster.

Vegas Airport was a crowded place; it was my first visit there. My first and only visit, in fact. I was there for ten days on a work trip, attending a trade show. I ultimately packed more than was necessary, but being someone who’d been underprepared while traveling, I didn’t want to be in that position again.