It was my first day working as a hotel housekeeper, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

I checked every corner twice, smoothed every wrinkle from the sheets, and made sure every mirror gleamed. I was determined to leave a spotless first impression.

But as I went from room to room, I started noticing something odd. Guests – businesspeople, families, even solo travelers – were all putting their suitcases in the bathtub.

At first, I brushed it off as coincidence. Maybe they just needed more space or didn’t want to block the floor. But as I cleaned more rooms and saw the same thing over and over, even when guests were still inside, I couldn’t neglect it anymore. Something about it didn’t feel random.

During our morning briefing the next day, I finally asked about it, trying to sound casual. To my surprise, no one looked confused. A few of my coworkers exchanged knowing smiles. One of them, Maria – who’d been there for nearly a decade – chuckled and said, “Oh, that’s not strange at all. They’re just protecting their luggage.”

I frowned. “From what?”

“From tiny, unwanted visitors,” she replied.

“Bedbugs don’t climb smooth surfaces. So some travelers put their bags in the tub, where the pests can’t reach. Once you’ve had to deal with that nightmare, you never take chances again.”

Her words clicked something in my mind. What I thought was a quirky habit was actually a clever precaution – one born from experience and maybe a bit of hard-earned wisdom.

Later that week, I met an elderly couple while cleaning their suite. Their suitcase, too, sat neatly in the tub. Curious, I asked about it. The husband gave me a kind smile and said,

“Oh, we learned that trick years ago. We once brought home a few tiny hitchhikers from a trip and it took months to remove them. Now we just do this out of habit. It keeps us at ease.”

I smiled back, understanding more than I expected to.

After that, every time I saw a suitcase in the bathtub, I didn’t see something odd that I saw a story. Each bag told of a traveler who had learned, adapted, and carried their lessons forward.

It made me realize that traveling isn’t just about collecting new destinations and it’s also about collecting wisdom. We pick up little habits along the way, ones that quietly protect us from bigger troubles.

And now, when I check into a hotel myself, I already know my first move. I glance at the bathtub and maybe, just maybe, I’ll give my suitcase a safe spot there too.