Baggage is the luggage people carry when they travel: suitcases, backpacks, duffel bags, and trunks filled with clothes and necessities. At the airport, you check your baggage at the counter or carry it onto the plane.

The word also describes emotional burdens people carry from past experiences. When someone has emotional baggage, they're dealing with unresolved feelings, old hurts, or lingering worries from things that happened before. A student who failed badly at public speaking once might carry that baggage into their next presentation, feeling nervous even though they're better prepared this time. A kid who got teased at their old school might bring that baggage to a new school, making them cautious about making friends even when everyone is being friendly.

Just as physical baggage can weigh you down and slow you down, emotional baggage can make new situations harder than they need to be. The good news is that unlike the suitcases you're stuck with on vacation, emotional baggage can be unpacked and dealt with over time through honest conversations, new positive experiences, and learning from what happened.