The other day when I was trying to fit everything in the boot of my car I came across my emergency kit. And it made me laugh. Because in retrospect it seems stupid that I thought I’d need it. But back then, the panic was real.
Driving to work takes me about 50 minutes, over a mountain range that is notorious for heavy snow in the winter. And when I first moved to Austria I had no idea what that meant. I was sure I’d heard stories of people being trapped on Autobahns overnight during particularly bad weather, and I was sure it would happen to poor, inexperienced, always-cold Debbie.
So, I created my own emergency pack. Here’s what’s in it:
Extra clothes
Warm socks, gloves, a beanie, a neck warmer and of course the clincher… my Australia onesie. Because I figured, I could just throw it on over whatever I was wearing, and it would keep me cosy overnight on the autobahn. Yeah, sure… don’t throw in some thermals, go for a cheap onesie. lol
So now I’m warm enough, I need something to eat
Naturally part of my back included a bottle of water and a muesli bar. I’m not sure if I ever swapped these out, but the muesli bar is now flattened to resemble something more akin to a strip of leather, and the bottle of water… well that might be better used to water the plants.
But of course, the unthinkable will happen
I will need to pee. It is inevitable, probably in the first hour when my bladder goes into panic overdrive that I might be stuck. And as a girl I cannot just poke my wiener out and let it flow. So the emergency pack includes a She Pee. And since it’s highly likely that in such awful conditions I won’t actually want to get out of the car, I also packed an ice cream tub. Picture me now, attempting to squat in the passenger side footwell… actually, no… don’t. Nobody wants to imagine that!
And… the good news is…
…I never needed it. Of course, it’s not a bad idea to have things like water and snacks in the car. And naturally I always carry a towel. The reality is, that while it could happen, the autobahn I drive on is well maintained, double-laned and regularly salted and snow-ploughed during winter. In reality, it is unlikely I would choose to drive if such a day came.
Of course, accidents do happen, and they can cause lengthy delays even in pleasant weather. So I do always carry water with me. I always pee before I leave, and hey, I’ll leave the emergency pack in the back, because you just never know.
an aussie in austria 