The travel essay I discovered centers around the author, Phillip Miller, and his great misadventure in an Austrian church. Miller travels to Hallstatt, Austria, with his wife for a vacation together. One early Sunday morning, Miller decides he wants to attend mass in the picturesque town, though his wife prefers to stay in bed and warns Miller that he can’t speak the local dialect. Undeterred, Miller decides to brave it alone. What follows is a series of horribly awkward moments (bumping into the pastor outside, sitting on the wrong side of the church, singing out of turn) that made me feel embarrassed for him.
I liked this essay in particular due to the awkward humor, you can’t help but feel bad for the guy, but at the same time, it’s a humorous story, as it could happen to anyone. It sort of reminded me of the awkward humor ever-present in one of my favorite shows, The Office. While the essay doesn’t focus on actual locales or the whole vacation, I still found it very entertaining.
I’ll have to check this essay out; it sounds like it’s right up my alley. I love awkward humor too. Nice find.