I just want to pop back in to say that I don't think traveling with just a small carryon as opposed to a large checked bag makes one a "better" traveller--it's a choice, not a virtue.
My own philosophy is that, as long as your luggage isn't distracting from your enjoyment, then it is probably just fine. What bothers me more is seeing people lose the adventure and joy of travel because they are burdened down by their luggage. I know women who dread having to pack for family vacations and find it much easier to just stay home than have to deal with all the hassle. As I said, my husband and I managed to travel with two kids ages 2 and 4 throughout Scandinavia with everything we needed in two backpacks so we always had two hands free--one for grabbing a stair rail and the other for a small hand. Despite our limited wardrobes we were all nicely dressed so we could stay in a smaller, but very nice, inns and eat in good restaurants. My husband wore his tweed jacket during the day and would often slip on a tie before we went for dinner in the evening. We walked, took local buses and ferries, and were comfortable in all kinds of weather. It took some planning since we were gone for six weeks, but it was a wonderful time for all of us. Our kids loved the adventure of meeting other children in playgrounds and parks. They learned to dress for dinner, sit quietly at the table, and eat different foods. We learned that families often bond with other families while sitting in a park watching their kids play, and we were often invited into a private home for coffee or a meal. My point is that traveling with a family for several weeks, walking for hours, and dining out at restaurants with white linen tablecloths is perfectly possible with limited luggage.
Maybe our packing style is less about the size of the suitcase, but more about what we want to experience when we travel away from the comfort of our homes? People look for different things when they travel for pleasure. If you want to move away from your normal routine, then maybe trying to simplify by packing light makes sense. If the thought of being in a strange place, or in different circumstances, doesn't thrill you, then you might want the security of having your own "stuff" close at hand. We can all rationalize our packing styles, but, ultimately, I think packing has as much to do with the psychological aspect of moving away from our personal comfort zone at home as it does with laundry or fussy feet. I also think that the more a person travels, the more comfortable a person becomes with less stuff.
