Amanda Arden

2026 fire season is underway with several fires burning across California, including the Sandy Fire in Simi Valley.

Seeing Savannah Guthrie’s heart-wrenching interview on the TODAY Show this morning took me back to my weeks spent in Tucson in Frebruary covering her mother’s disappearance. At the time, it felt like Nancy Guthrie would be found at any moment. Now, like Savannah, we still hold on to the hope that someone will come forward with information.

In this season of giving/gifting, please allow me a moment to appreciate a very valuable gift I received a decade ago. 👇🏻

The year was 2015 and I was graduating from the University of Oregon. My dad, mom, and brother made the road trip from our small hometown in Montana to Eugene, Oregon to celebrate. I knew it would be an emotional day for my dad who, even to this day, gets teary-eyed when he remembers dropping me off at college in “the big city of Eugene.”

My parents, who both worked very hard to help me pursue higher education, were extremely proud. I was the first member of the family to receive a bachelor’s degree – two, technically: journalism and French.

That day, my dad gifted me these suitcases. Little did he know just how much I’d end up using them several years later, when I accepted my job at CBS News. These suitcases have been through a lot. They’ve flown internationally, been lost – and found again (thankfully), dragged through mud, bounced over cobblestones, soaked in rain, and endured wildfire smoke. In a job that sometimes feels lonely, your suitcases become your closest companions.

We’ve been on a lot of adventures together, these suitcases and me, and now it’s time to bid them farewell. Their torn exteriors, dented pull handles, and fickle wheels are ready for retirement. And so, though I know it’s cheesy, I’m making this post to remember this special gift — my purple luggage – and the miles we’ve traveled together.

Happy holidays, everyone. May you find a deep appreciation for the gifts that surround you. 🎁