Fish Out of Water

I think if I were going to write a series character, I would probably make her a Texas girl, since that’s what I know best. That also means she would be a fish out of water when she went elsewhere, because that’s what I am.

Whenever I travel, and I travel quite a bit, I cannot make myself believe other places are not hot like Texas. When I left day before yesterday it was about 102 degrees. I brought short sleeves and open-toed shoes. It was the end of August. It’s now September 1; I’m in Wyoming and digging through my suitcase for the one long-sleeve shirt I packed.

I know it gets cool here. My husband and I come here every Labor Day weekend to gather with other friends from across the U.S. And yet every time we come, I can’t imagine it being cold anywhere in August or September. Not only is it cool here, they get rain. We finally got a little rain just before I left Austin. It had been so long, I didn’t recognize what the noise was at first.

I did the same thing years ago when I went to San Francisco. It was summer and yet it got so cold at night I finally had to go buy a jacket. I was freezing.

Of course, it probably works the other way around, too. Folks from Minnesota probably have a hard time believing they could come to Austin in January and wear shorts.

After I finally uncovered the long-sleeve shirt and put it on, I decided my series character would constantly have to find the right clothes to wear wherever she went. Or maybe she’d just leave a note in her suitcase to always carry at least one outfit in case of heat and one in case of snow. Oooh, despite my open–toed shoes, I’d love to see snow. Not likely, even in Wyoming . But since I didn’t bring a coat, there’s a good chance for a few flakes.