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Travel Writers: In Appropriate Shoes

Location: Grödig, Austria

It wasn’t that I did it on purpose, it just happened. Yes, I booked the trip. Yes, I know the importance of socks. Yes, I know the Alps are mountains and therefore a bit chilly. But this was my summer vacation – it wasn’t supposed to snow.

A Land Rover rolls by spraying water across my feet. Perhaps my choice of vacation shoes wasn’t good, but one strappy, one heeled, and one flat should have taken me from day to night, from Paris to Prague. Apparently, they stopped outside Salzburg on the soaked streets of Grödig.

“I’m cold,” I say to my partner Mark as we wait for the bus.
He glares at me from the other side of the bench.
“Really cold.”
He says nothing.
“Cold. Who knew it would be so unbelievably cold."

He zips his coat up and peers down the road.
I shiver as loudly as possible. “Why aren’t you cold?”

He takes a deep breath. “Because,” he says slowly, “I packed socks and boots and sweaters and pants and a coat. Not tank tops and inappropriate shoes.”
Cold, I think, glaring back. Cold.

“And it’s not that cold,” he snaps. When we get into Salzburg I’m banned from scaling the Hohensalzburg fortress. “You need to buy shoes,” he says. “Proper shoes. Not sandals, or heels, or anything with satin. Shoes.”
When he walks away, he doesn’t look back.

After two thankless hours of boot-hunting, I go directly to an internet café in search of worldwide support.

Sunday, May 8, 2005 06:02 PM
Subject: Because it @#$%#$@ snowed…

Yes. Snowed. And since all the shops are carrying summer lines (damn the fashion-forward Europeans), and since I lost one of my gloves in Benetton and the bitchy Salzburgians made me leave because they were closing, and since NOTHING is open in Europe on Sundays except internet cafés and frites ‘n wiener stands, here I sit, one Bratwurst heavier, wearing one glove.

Let’s paint a picture of misery, shall we? Two pairs of socks, one pair of drenched leather flats (what was I thinking?), a bra, tanktop, v-neck t-shirt, wrap sweater, pink hoodie that’s been moonlighting as pajamas and a pair of black pants with peanut butter smeared across the knees.

One day later my mother writes back

Sent: Monday May 9, 2005 12:20 AM
Subject: RE: Because it @#$%#$@ snowed…

Strange. I do remember saying something about running shoes and a sweater/jacket.

Please be kind to Mark because the weather is not his fault, and I know
you can be slightly ‘blunt’ when you're cold or nervous.

And watch your mouth.

© Jaclynn Gereluk