Difficult or Enriching?

As you can probably imagine, during our travels we’ve encountered all types of challenges.  There are the obvious ones that we knew we’d have to deal with:  various toilet configurations, questionable food and water, wardrobe limitations, uncomfortable pillows, dim lighting.   Then there are the ones we didn’t think about or even imagine.  Most of the time we laugh over these circumstances, other times we shout, cuss, roll our eyes or cry and then get over it.  The most unexpected hurdles make the best stories:

• Looking forward to watching mindless TV during our week stay in a rental apartment on the Dalmatian Coast.  It was advertised to be up to western standards and have satellite cable TV.  It has lots of channels all right…..all 300 of them are only in German! 
• Trying to cuddle in European double beds that are actually two twin mattresses pushed together.  Is the crack down the middle a birth control device?
• Washing clothes for a couple weeks only to find that the reason they smell and feel so nice is that the soap isn’t soap; it’s fabric softener - should we have double checked that Czech label?  It looked like detergent to us!
• From Croatia, buying tickets on line for the Munich Santana concert.  Why is the site only in German and what address do we use for receiving the tickets?
• Taking a shower in a stall that has no elbow room nor shower curtain.  How do you get clean when you can barely move or can‘t spray the water where it‘s needed most?
• Each one of our new “homes” has some design nuance to discover, usually painfully:  stubbing our toes on a threshold that sticks up ½ inch on either side of the door, or clunking our heads on light fixtures that are just a bit too low.
• Road signs that are “all Greek to us” only to find out what they mean after it’s too late: pedestrians only, official use only or Hey idiot, this street is closed, go back.  In one case we were actually told that we have 5 seconds to turn around and leave the area.  We sarcastically asked for 6.
• Super rubbery ice cube trays.  Who invented these useless things?
• An apartment that has the kitchen in the bathroom or is it the bathroom in the kitchen.  Either way it is G.R.O.S.S.  Cooking while sitting…..maybe it’s an idea that will catch on someday.
• People that take up the entire sidewalk and don’t move an inch when passing.  ARG!
• Hungarian hair stylists: selecting a hair color (by pointing and gesturing) only to find out it doesn’t look anything like the sample.  Since when is light brown, coal black?  And agreeing on the Number 2 shaver only to be almost scalped.  It’s hard to tell in the picture, but Amy’s hair is waaaay darker then any hair should be and Steve’s is so short he wonders if it’ll ever grow again.  Don’t we look over joyed with our new dos? 
• Keys and doors.  We’ve spent many frustrating moments locking and unlocking our homes including breaking and entering!  From huge medieval keys to digital codes to doormen to doors that can’t be opened even when unlocked.  This is Steve climbing into our own 2nd story apartment after walking blocks to borrow a ladder.  Who installs a door knob that doesn’t turn, even when unlocked?

Do these hurdles and challenges “enrich” our travel experience?  We actually believe that they do!  In the moment we may be frustrated or pissed, but so far, it’s the difficult times that are the most memorable and laughable.  Oh the stories we’ll be able to tell.