I am someone who likes being hydrated. Due to living in a hot climate, you need water more often than you think you do. That also means knowing when your throat is dry and you need to hydrate. Or headaches and grumpiness may come.
Last weekend I got a wakeup call about the importance of storing water safely. A water bottle wasn’t sealed and ended up in my bag for a trip. There are several ways that you can store a water bottle while driving or going with people, and how that method defines someone.
Keeping It Separate
This is the person who cannot for the life of them keep a water bottle from spilling in their purse. They can’t always remember to screw it tight because they’re always in a rush and it’s easier to ensure that the bottle is vertical than to check where it is stored.
I keep my water bottle out of my bag, and if I have to I make sure it’s vertical in case of an emergency. Then I have it on hand for refilling at a later date.
Using The Bag
Only two types of people actually store water with their other belongings: magicians, and absentminded folk. After you’ve been the latter for a couple of years, experience has taught you that this route is a good way to get water-stains on your notebooks.
Magicians remember to close the bottle tightly. They also craft means so that the water doesn’t spill and mess up a book that you received as a gift. You wonder at their genius.
The folks are those who need a few spilled bags to get the message to close the bottle. I was them once upon a time. Since then, I keep the water separate.
In any case, I was lucky that only a few books got some water damage and have bent pages. They’ll dry, as will everything else in the bag. It was a lesson, to always check your water bottle alignment.
