Right now my travel posts are tagged as travel, and the category is also TRAVEL. I should probably come up with a snazzy theme or title for such posts…the best I can think of is MELISCELLANEOUS TRAVELS, I’m very creative as I’m sure you can tell.

So I’m getting my packing started for my trip….and by packing I mean, shopping nonstop and putting the store bags in my closet and not looking at them for another 2 weeks. Going on a real vacation is expensive, and I’m not even talking about hotels and airfare. I don’t leave the house generally (unless someone is taking me out for ice cream…which we should do right now, if anyone is interested) so I am not prepared to go out of the Country.

Growing up, our vacations were visiting historical battlefields, President’s houses (Dolly Madison=Ice Cream, it all comes back to the Ice Cream) and theme parks (Disney twice, Bush Gardens once, and Knobles more than I can count.) The vacation I’ve done the most is New Jersey, a whole state away, so when I tell you I have no freakin’ idea what I am doing to get ready for this real trip you must understand, I REALLY REALLY mean it.

Instead of actively packing, I have spent hours of my life on Amazon.com buying travel purses, and wallets you wear around your neck, and UK adapters, and learning how to set up my phone so I can still use twitter while abroad (otherwise I would probably die from withdrawal.) I’ve purchased headphones, walking sandals, PJs, an insane amount of dresses, and clothing in general (since I lack “vacation wear” I’ve either in a skirt or gym shorts, I don’t have much inbetween clothing.) Do I have any essentials packed, like tooth brushes or shampoo or sunblock…no…but I do have abour 5,000 sundresses from Old Navy (okay, I like, it’s 6 and they can’t all come on the trip.)

Today I decided that none of my shoes were good for traveling, other than my clarks sandals, so I wandered into DSW to add to my collection of shoes that look like they belong to a 12 year old (I’m not kidding, my students’ are often wearing similar shoes to me…I like to pretend it’s because the kids are just ultra-stylish, but it’s really because my signature style is “12 year old”.)

After taking to @bitchylibrarian on twitter (who beats me with her shoe addiction, I may have as many shoes, but hers are prettier by far) I decided to try and find a pair of heels for the trip. We are going to be going out on the town (er…the city) a few nights, including a West End Show (my vote is for Les Miz, it has a JONAS BROTHER IN IT, my students’ would think me the coolest person ever) and Lauren told me heels are a must. I don’t get along well with heels, being a COMPLETE klutz. I walk into a wall at least 3 times a day, I trip over nothing, I have strange bruises that appear out of no where….and….when no one is looking, I walk around on the heels of my shoes, or tap dance around the kitchen. This is why I find ballet flats to be ideal, plus it makes for fun conversation at work, since at least twice a day a student remarks on how short I am.
I live in my rocket dog ballet flats (I have black, and a cute green pair that I call my “little old lady shoe.”) My black pair are mostly dead, so I thought, hey, if I do to DSW and can’t find anything at least I can get a new pair of knock around black ballet flats.

According to Lauren, she is taking 4 pairs of shoes on this trip.

1.) Sandals (okay, I have those, tan Clarks good for walking)

2.) Mary Janes (I guess a closed shoe is a good idea, what with the rain and al)

3. Sneakers (I own insane amounts of Sneakers)

4. Heels (uhhh…my wedges have the heels flipping off, my pumps look like they are for work or Easter Sunday, and my other two heels are very winter)

So off I went, into DSW, which for me IS LIKE DISNEYLAND. I always leave that place with four bags of shoes. I attempted to be daring, and not go straight toward the rounded wedges that I usually wear. I tried on POINTY things, I really did. But I have this issue, I can’t buy shoes if I think they make my foot look bigger than it is…and I’m only a 6.5 or a 7, so it’s not like I wear large sizes, it’s just I have this phobia of appearing to have large feet. I won’t buy shoes if they are bulky due to this. I watch What not to Wear, I know I SHOULD be wearing pointy toe shoes to elongate short legs, but I just can’t. I feel like a witch. I think the shoes are so cute on the other teachers who wear them, but I can’t get past my own mental block of owning them.

Instead I tried sexy heels, but me, falling over as I try to walk ,makes them less sexy I think.

I wandered quickly to the back of the room and straight to the ballet flats section, because I just can not help myself. As much as I wanted to buy these pink and black satin shoes, MADE BY THE FANCY DESIGNER DR. SCHOLLs. But, I thought I should just save that look for my bedroom slippers.

I then got in trouble with @bitchylibrarian for considering Nike Mary Janes. I suppose Nike isn’t exactly High Fashion, haha, oops! I guess this is the type of shoe that would get me judged….actually i think these scream LIBRARIAN AT ALA to me. I’m not sure what I wore to ALA….bet they were ballet flats that looked like bedroom slippers though knowing me…

I went back into heel world, and came upon these cute peep toe sling backs (that I can adjust to fit me, my major shopping issue today was many of the 6.5’s were too small and the 7’s too big) Sure these are rounded, sure they have a bow, but they are HEELS, SHINY SHINY HEELS, so I think I met my goal there. They make my feet look small, they make me taller and they look cute with the random pink skirt I decided to wear with my black tank top today….no, I wasn’t wearing a headband or barretts, what can’t a 28 year old wear a short pink skirt?

So, I bought the heels and 1. leather guess ballet with tiny heel for work 2. new “old lady shoes” to replace my black ballet flats I wear as my around the house shoes 3. ballet flats with a sneaker sole for walking around on the trip with my black capris.

So…basically…the same style shoe (black, round toed) three times in casual, slightly dressy but not really, and sporty.) I own so many shoes, but I’m starting to think they all might be black round toed low shoes.  Am I boring? Oh wait, yes I am, I already knew that! I think next time I need to get out of my comfort zone and buy….oh, I don’t know, an ACTUAL COLOR, or find where I misplaced my red peep-toe Steve Madden shoes that i haven’t seen since I lived in Binghamton.
I hope you enjoyed today’s shoe porn. I had fun shopping with Bitchylibrarian and Kelsie’s help. I love that I can snap pictures and send them over twitter to get opinions.  I’ll keep you updated on what else I get in preparation for my trip…because I really am dull, and this is all I have going for me :P