Electric grids in Europe.

Alexander Graham Bell wrote,  “When one door closes, another door opens.”

Well, let me tell you, when in Europe, it doesn’t happen that way. Doors fail to open, or more to the point, they open the wrong direction. They often open toward the inside of a space, no matter what lies within or how large. American doors, on the other hand, open the correct, or opposite direction.

Europeans also have dim hallways. Since I can no longer read without glasses, there were times I had to grope for my belongings, blind and tentative. Lights in Europe come on as one approaches a hallway, or darkened area. All is dormant until light sensitive timers turn on. Europeans are great at conserving electricity; it is very expensive abroad.

This conservative approach works to test the patience of Americans (namely me), and makes us well aware of the land of plenty from which we come. (I do intend to assess however, my home lighting needs, now that I have returned home. American conservation is finally in vogue.)

Then, there are the differences in electrical plugs and systems. There are as many different kinds of plugs, as there are in a large box of Godiva chocolates. The four countries I traveled through (England, The Netherlands, France and Spain) had three different types of electrical plugs. Planner that I am, my trip beforehand to Austin’s REI proved fruitless. I purchased a heavy-duty all-purpose technicolor dream adaptor for persons with wanderlust, and it turned out to be out of date, and therefore non-functional. While traveling abroad, there are also additional assortments of adaptors, at hotels and hardware stores to add to whatever adaptor and electrical devices a traveler might bring. Good luck finding yours. I never did.

Different types of electrical generation and distributions exist in the US and abroad,

110 DC (American) versus 220 AC (European). What is relevant here is what happens when you mix the two systems, in an appliance that cannot adjust the current properly through the adaptors. Receiving a phone call one night, while heating up a heat adjustable lo/hi curling iron with DC current and AC adaptor, produced disastrous results. After leaving the iron plugged in while speaking with a Floridian friend, I later held it over my head upon returning. Steam was present for the first time that I’d ever noticed. I thought it a little unusual, but filled with thoughts of my overseas holiday talk, dismissed it.

Even when I noticed the cap falling off the end of the iron, I failed to recognize the growing warning signals. I picked up the cap from the floor and took a look. Being somewhat blind without glasses (see the above), I failed to notice the reason behind the fallen cap. It had melted off of the iron.

The final blow was taking a piece of my hair, (luckily in the center of my head, away from my skin), and applying the iron. An immediate sizzling sound with a scent of burnt hair made me jump! What remained was fried hair glued permanently to the iron, and a smelly head for a few days. No worries, the rest of me was intact!