The Things I’ve Carried

While I was in Florida last month, my mother watched me pull out my wallet to pay for something – probably candy.

“Geez,” she said. “Your wallet is huge.”

She was right. My purse has been weighing down my shoulders for weeks and the wallet – stuffed with heaps of euro coins – is the culprit.

So I sat down to clean it out. First, I scooped out the euro coins and put them in one of the pockets of my suitcase. Then I noticed that the business card slots were packed pretty tightly so I began to pull them out one by one, to see which I still needed and which I didn’t.

This is what I found:

My whole life as a serial expat- carried around with me each day, both figuratively and literally.

From Ireland: the KopiKat photocopy card from college, my dermatologist’s business card, member/saver cards from Brown Thomas, Boots, Dunnes, and Zeba. My membership card from the Literary Society at school. My 30-Day Student Bus Rambler Pass. My college ID.

From Japan: My Popeye Media Cafe membership card (ah, 久しぶりね 、 Popeye-san?), my Kenkouhoken card, my gaijin card.

From New York City: Metro cards, my New York State Driver’s License, the new Duane Reade’s club card, more club cards from Sephora and D’Agostino’s. Business cards from my dentist, a supposedly authentic yakiniku restaurant on St. Mark’s, and my friend, Thomas – production and talent.

From Italy: My health insurance card.

Up top, real money and play money.

And finally, the wallet itself – bought at the Tennoji Takashimaya in Osaka.

Countries lived in over a period of forty-three months: 3.

Times I’ve cleaned out my wallet since 2007: 1

Memories: Countless.

What will my wallet – and my shoulders – look like in a year?