Phew, I made it. BARELY!

I don't travel that often, and we've made our suitcases last a long long time. I got all my stuff packed inside my suitcase and headed to the airport and from there to the security check. I was bringing home some questionable items (a shell casing from the honor guard rifle firings at the burial and some old matchbooks that my G-pa had saved from his travels). I pulled these items and my baggie of liquids and gels to go through security and wouldn't you know it, when trying to get my stuff put away and zipped back up, the zipper broke completely off. The more I did to get stuff secure, the more it unzipped. I finally asked security if they had anything to help and they gave me some tape. Feeling unsure that the little bit of tapethey had given me would hold if I had to check my bag plane side, I asked United for more. They indeed were able to find some and This is how I traveled! Thankfully, I made it home with ALL my belongings. Phew!