My Backpack

I'm going to Portugal in about a month. I always travel with my large camping backpack, a trusty REI Valhalla. I first got it in the 8th grade, when I figured it would be easier to carry everything with me rather than keep going to my locker. Other kids called it my "body bag" and suspected that there might be some dead person deep in there. After all, it was about as big as I was at the time.
However, after 12 years of service, it didn't look quite up to the trip. The stitching on the bottom was starting to come apart, and the waterproofing on the inside was flaking everywhere.
I remembered that REI has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. So I put it in the car and drove to a nearby store. I went to the customer service counter. The man was very nice, but he couldn't find the bag in his computer system (it was too old). So after a bit of discussion, he offered me a $60.00 credit. Sounded fair to me.
Then I went backpack shopping in the store. The salesman was very helpful, but when I inquired about one of the packs, he said, "Oh, no way. If you think a 12 year old bag is returnable, that won't be nearly tough enough for you!" Point taken.
So I shelled out a hundred bucks on a Kelty Coyote 4900. Hopefully it will last me many more years. And it too has a lifetime warranty! I'm keeping the receipt though.
But right now I'm really missing that purple REI bag. It went to school with me for years. Countless camping trips. Probably 10 times across the Atlantic. London, Paris, Rome, Nice, Naples, Avignon, Cambridge, Frankfurt, Montreal..... I kind of want to drive back to the store right now and get it back. Maybe I can sew it back together.