Carrying a suitcase around town is a universally embarrassing experience.

" I ’m about to do the most mortifying thing one person can do , " Anna Loshak , 25 , a seasoned traveler and dear friend , announced in a rush vocalism memoranda . The anxiousness in her phonation was palpable . " take the air through Venice for 15 minutes with my suitcase rolling through the sett . "

My head vividly created a hilarious scene of Loshak awkwardly stumbling acrossVenice’sbusy streets with a cartoonishly largesuitcase . After the initial yet inevitable yack came a bit of uncomfortable reflection . Why did I also feel humiliated ?

As it turns out , it ’s a general experience . Strolling through a city with a rolling suitcase is up there with some of the most cringeworthy scenario you could perhaps imagine , from tripping and falling in front of your crush to visibly staining your pants at a work lunch . The common denominator to all these situations is the same contiguous termination : mass staring at you when you ’re vulnerable .

tourists walking through venice with suitcase

SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

" It ’s the anxiety that comes from attracting unnecessary care to yourself , especially if you ’re not carrying your bag very seamlessly , " Loshak explain . " If you ’re conduct a great suitcase and it ’s making noise , you start up thinking that multitude are look at you wish , ' Oh , this tourist has arrived and she does n’t recognize where to go . ' "

The dissonance , in fact , seems to be the biggest issue to overcome . If Loshak uncomfortably shivers at the thought of it , Eleonora Lonardi , a 27 - twelvemonth - old New York City resident , feels like a deer in headlight .

" It ’s like have a flashlight pointed toward you in the middle of the Nox , " Lonardi , who ’s used to dodging large herd of tourists in her hometown of Verona , Italy , said . " Everybody hears the sound of your luggage before they see you , so it ’s as if they turn around and marvel , ' What is she doing ? Why is she have noise ? ' "

It does n’t matter how much you ’ve traveled in your life , and it certainly does n’t count whether you ’re used to living in a bustling metropolis . If you belong to the democratic traveling community of those susceptible to suitcase overplus , you will always feel it . In a way , though , that should be a console thought because you ’re not alone . Around every corner of every city , another potentially embarrassed traveler lowers their heart and clenches their jaw as they maneuver their suitcase .

" If you ’re learn other masses go through it , it sort of calms your own anxiety about it . "

That ’s what made Loshak flick out of her uncomfortable spiral — that she ’s not alone . Venice is not an gentle metropolis to direct with a suitcase . There are so many stairs , skittle alley , and bridges , and you could only get from power point A to level B by understructure unless you ’re willing to pay for a pee taxi or a gondola , of track .

When Loshak arrive in Venice , she sighed in relief and empathize she would n’t be the only one trying their best . " look on everybody else struggle with their suitcase immediately got disembarrass of the intuitive feeling of embarrassment within 30 moment , " she admitted . " If you ’re seeing other people go through it , it sort of calms your own anxiousness about it . "

After all , there might be an even more foolproof result to the traveling bag problem : not identifying it as a problem from the get - go . Bianca Palmarini , 26 , a ego - described adventuresome traveler base in NYC , brushes it off as more of a routine recitation . " I focalise more on the address than the journeying , " she said . " Carrying a suitcase is a requisite , not really a choice , which is why I do n’t spend a flock of sentiment on it . "

Fair enough , but think that in some cities , carry a suitcase with you is less virtual . metropolis design apart , the busybodied a place is , the more inconvenient your suitcase might become for you and others .

" You are in citizenry ’s way , " Loshak explained . " If you ’re walk through a fussy part of a city with really big suitcase , you ’re just make bedlam in an already chaotic metropolis . " The root ? If you need to get your luggage , find an choice , such as a haversack , or put in it somewhere you may grab it later .

Ultimately , the decision is yours , and as Loshak added ,   " If somebody is walking through a meddling city with a travelling bag , even if it ’s making a short ton of noise , at no point am I look down on them or believe that they ’re incapable of taking a taxi . "

When it descend to ourselves , though , we lean to be our harsh critics . " For some reason , when I do it , I do n’t give myself the same grace , " she admit .

But maybe , we should care less about how we ’re perceived and more about what we ’re doing for ourselves . Besides , as Palmarini explain , not only does she not judge you if she sees you carrying your suitcase around Ithiel Town , she might even feel a glimpse of green-eyed monster . At the end of the Clarence Day , your suitcase is evidence that you are , in fact , jaunt somewhere , and that ’s just thrilling .

Looking for more travel tips?

Whether you require helpsneaking smoke onto a plane , finding an airport where you cansign up for PreCheck without an appointment , or making trusted you ’re getting everything you ’re entitled towhen your flight is canceled , we ’ve got you covered . Keep reading forup - to - date travel hacksandall the travel news you needto assist you plan your next big adventure .