Every travel size has a destiny. Some end up in a “vacation bag” that never gets used. Most end up living in the back of a bathroom drawer for approximately four years. I found a bottle of sunscreen from a trip to Florida in 2016 last week. It was crispy.
Others become the ultimate survivors, getting refilled with hotel hand soap and passed down through generations of roommates. “Will you use this alien green shower gel? It’s ancient, but it smells like a 1990s mall.”
Ultimately, the travel size is a tiny testament to our hope. Hope that our next trip will be seamless, our skin will glow, and we will finally, finally, use that miniature bottle of aspirin before the expiry date. We won’t. But isn’t it fun to dream?
So go ahead, buy the travel-size toothpaste that costs as much as a movie ticket. Live a little. Just remember to put it in the quart bag before you get to security. Your future self—and the TSA agent—will thank you.
