A trip to India has been on my wish list since I decided to traverse the world in my late teens. At 46 I’ve started planning this trip in earnest.

And this is the kind of trip that deserves its own suitcase—not just something practical, but something that feels like the promise of what’s to come. Considerations such as safety and security are essential for my about town bags, but my suitcase? That had to be a little bit fancy.

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Like everything else, it started with an internet search. All the boring stuff, dimensions, allowances, weight. Then the fun stuff, colours, styles, making a spreadsheet to keep track of the options…

The new Antler Single Stripe suitcase took my fancy. Great size, good weight, and matching little packing cubes which were a novelty to me.

With my eagerness to get something tangible for my long-awaited trip, I set off to the local shopping centre. My reliable Strandbags had exactly what I was looking for.

I went in and got the case off the shelf even though I wasn’t sure it that was allowed, then did a little inspection. Not too much—I didn’t want to push any unknown boundaries. Plus, I’d seen the pictures online and knew this was the one I wanted.

And I didn’t want to draw undue attention. I was already wondering if I should know more about suitcases and what to ask thanks to that voice in me that says I should know more than I do, be more self-reliant even though that would feel like turning the dial past ten.

Time to step up and decide to buy.

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I carried the suitcase to the counter, and the lady scanned the tag and said it was on sale at $220. I knew the colour of that one was on sale for $189 so I checked that I had the Taupe which I did (so sophisticated… I will let you know how it travels).

While she took my details, I debated whether to speak up. There’s no harm in asking… right? Is there?

‘Would you mind checking the price on that one again?’

I did it. The words came out of my mouth.

She checked the website and said it was cheaper and wrote down the price for me. I said yes, that was it. What a relief! Confirmation that I hadn’t read it all wrong, I could trust my memory, and nothing bad happened.

Emboldened, I then asked the lady if I could share something with her. She seemed cautious but I went ahead and let her know that my anxiety would normally make me not ask the question and take it at the higher price and what a wonderful small win that was for me.

She didn’t look as impressed as I would have hoped but then I had just made her go through the checkout process twice.

I felt it for a moment but then I realised that it didn’t matter whether other people were happy for me. I was happy for me.

And I wheeled that suitcase through the shopping centre not strutting exactly—but not shrinking either.