A Floridian Learns To Winter

The first time I went to Austria I knew NOTHING about winter in a place that reguarly receive snow. I lived in Florida since I was a baby. Most of the relatives I visited growing up were concentrated in Louisiana and Alabama. In fact, the very first time (and only time before Austria) I saw snow I was 14 years old. It was on Christmas Day in Mobile, Alabama, and stopped after a few hours. Both of my parents had about as much experience with snow as I did.

This is me in November 2008. My thought process at the time:

 Look at me! I got my coat from a cousin who lives in a cold place. I'm wearing my winter shoes (see, they're closed toed!); all set! Wait... it's only November and it hasn't snowed yet!? And snow is wet and soaks through these things!? Crap.

Eventually I acquired some cheap, second hand, or ill-fitted winterwear so I didn't entirely freeze. But now I can safely say I learned the hard way how to survive a winter in Austria. So for anyone moving from life in a warm climate to a place with actual winter for the first time, this post is for you.

COAT

This is the winter coat I plan to bring. It's basic, wool, and will keep me warm. It will also go with the rest of my wardrobe. Coincidentally, the same cousin, Lindsay, also gave me this coat. While warm, it is not entirely weather-proof, so on those days with heavy snowfall, skiing, (or times I get the whim to make a snow angel), it won't be enough.

SKI JACKET

THIS is the jacket for those days. In the winter months, Villach does average a good few inches of precipitate (mostly snow) per month, so it's worthwhile. Luckily, I found and bought this at the store I worked at over the summer for a mere $10, so I can't complain.

FLEECE

This will probably sustain me for a lot of fall and spring. It's lighter than the above jackets, but still warm. In Florida, something like this would have been reserved for the coldest nights of the year.

RAIN JACKET

This was something I knew NOTHING about in Florida but found myself wishing I had my entire exchange (I never actually got one though). A rain jacket. Warm, torrential downpours and thunderstorms that ended as soon as they began were a constant companion of my summers in Florida. Not so in Austria. The rain is cold, and lasts. There's even a German term for this slow (for me), continual rain: Dauerregen.

So, this will keep me nice and dry whether in the summer, or fall or spring over my fleece.

BOOTS

I also learned that winter shoes meant a lot more than ones that were closed toed. And “boots” weren't just fashion boots from discount shoe stores or big box retailers.

In November I bought the cheapest, new winter boots I could find in Austria. They were hideous and were falling apart by the time April hit.

I wish this photo could do their ugliness justice.

This summer, I bought boots before leaving. I bought them online for a reasonable price. Because I have such small feet, my size for many brands was overstocked, which brought prices down even more. These should keep my feet warm and dry, and last MUCH longer than four months.

SOCKS (and gloves)

I used to think winter socks meant two pairs of thin socks. Or novelty “fuzzy socks”. I still don't know what I'm doing sock-wise, so I bought a variety of outdoor and winter socks. Maybe they were a waste of money. Maybe they were the best idea I've had so far. *shrug* I'll find out soon enough.

The socks in the top corner were warm, cozy wool socks, courtesy of my old professor, Gaby. I plan on spending many a wonderful cozy evening in wearing those socks, and making delicious soups.

HAND KNITTED PRETTIES

For those of you who know me, I like to knit. Like, a lot. I am super excited all of my knitted hats and scarves will be useful for more than ten days out of the year.

I also hope this will inspire me to knit even more often, and actually finish all of my projects.

So yeah, a lot more went into dressing warm than I thought. I think I'm (mostly?) prepared.

Luggage: How to Fit a Year into a Tiny Space

ALL ABOUT LUGGAGE

So this is my first post really related to Austria. It's a bit more stuff-focused than most will be. Perhaps this can serve as a resource for others planning on moving cross-continent for a year. We'll see.

The first time I went to Austria, I was pretty unprepared, weather-wise and packing wise. Back in 2008, it was not as necessary to be a savvy packer. One could fly to Europe with two checked bags, a carry-on and a personal item for no extra charge. With airline fees becoming gradually more commonplace since then, all I can take for no charge is one suitcase, one carry-on, and on personal item. Bringing a second checked bag now costs $100, so pack light or prepare your wallet accordingly.

MAIN BAG

I am bringing one piece of checked luggage. I bought this suitcase specifically for the trip. It's nothing fancy and measures 28” by 18” by 9”. If I could do it again, I would have gone for a slightly larger size, but hopefully this will help me de-clutter.

However, this suitcase is still large enough to comfortably fit a collapsable hula hoop, so for me it's big enough!

One reason I bought new luggage is that now most luggage is MUCH lighter than even five or ten years ago. Not surprising since modern luggage, with wheels and a bar to drag the suitcase is mere decades old. Not to mention, it has "spinners". Spinners are four wheels on the bottom of luggage instead of two. These wheels can rotate freely, which makes dragging the suitcase through the airport or onto a train a breeze.

I plan on fitting most of my clothes, including winter wear, into this piece. Rolling up clothes instead of folding them is also a technique I am using to save space.

BACKPACK.

For this trip I also decided to splurge on a “fancy” hiking backpack. I never owned a backpack beyond a basic one designed for school books, so this will be a nice upgrade to use as my piece of carry-on.

If I go on short trips during my year, it is much smaller and more manageable than lugging around a suitcase. I plan on trying to get into better shape, so, with any luck, I'll also use it on actual hiking trips.

The pack I chose to get was an Osprey Sirrus 24

The pack holds up to 24 Liters worth of stuff, and full up it measures 21” by 13” by 10.5”

What sold me on this pack was that it was specifically designed for a female-bodied frame AND came in different sizes. As someone whose 5 foot tall AND has a proportionally small torso, it seemed like it would actually be designed to fit. I am still waiting for it to ship, so I'll have to see when it arrives.

It also has fancy pockets, hip straps, a frame to redistribute the weight, and other nifty things. It's kind of a whole new world for me, and I hope it will last me for many, many years.

Originally I was between this pack and the larger pack in the series, the Osprey Sirrus 36. The Sirrus 36 holds 36 liters—substantially more—and I could probably get the bag on the plane to Austria I decided to go with the larger pack. This is because it is technically larger than carry-on size, and many discount airlines in Europe are much stricter about bags being to size.

PERSONAL ITEM

My personal item is a simple large purse. I plan on putting my electronics, important items, toiletries, fresh underwear and socks, and activities for the long plane ride over in here. Here's to hoping knitting needles get through security okay! (I am flying on September 11^th , after all).

Stay tuned for a post on attempting to winter.

An Update from Sarasota

It's been a while since I first announced my acceptance to teach English in Austria. Now that the time is closer, I plan on updating this blog regularly.

A lot of “Life” happened in the past almost-four months.

I passed my Bacc exam

I graduated from New College

Got a full time job for the summer

Swam with the mermaids (or at least in the same spring)

Spent lots of time with wonderful people

(Drawing courtesy of my wonderful friend, Christine)

and engaged mild shenanigans

More closely related to Austria I:

-Went through the headaches, tears, and yelling associated with completing visa paperwork.

-Found housing surprisingly painlessly

-Got in contact with the teacher I'm working under

-Approached the point of excitement and anticipation where I mention Austria in almost every conversation with strangers possible.

Before I leave I plan on making a number of posts about my preparation for the year ahead. This will include posts about packing, dressing for the winter and like a grown-up (hopefully useful to anyone stalking this blog hoping to leave for a year, too). I also plan on talking a little bit about Villach, so stay tuned!