If you were suddenly transported to medieval Europe, how well could you survive?

Communication would be difficult, but I think that could be solved. I’m not lingually challenged, so I’m confident that I would be able to communicate at least basic concepts. I would hope that at the time I got teleported, I had a lighter or matches on me. These would help to light a fire in order to cook or to signal my presence.

I would turn my cell phone off right away, so as to conserve battery. At this point, I don’t know if I’m going to get transported again, so it would be best to have a charge on it.

Right away I would find some type of stick/potential weapon and sharpen it. Not necessarily for human contact, but there must be animals around. I would also try to find a river/lake. I need water from it to drink, and there will most likely be animals and people nearby it.

I’ve been vaccinated against smallpox and that’s a good place to start. EDIT: I would head for the nearest convent and sign up. :-) That’s about the only place where a woman could get educated and pursue a life of the mind. Otherwise, it wasn’t such a great time for women.

First i’d be afraid i’d be petrified.Then i’d survive, hey hey. I would no doubt achieve this by utilising my charm & smooth talking skills to worm my way in with the notories of the day.Thus ensuring my survival, for the time being at least.

Time to kick some deadite ass…

I wouldn’t survive at all if I couldn’t take my blow dryer.

I would become a Wizard.

My first creation. The Bic Lighter.
Ok, it might weigh 50 lbs. And, having a goat bladder attached to it.

I can’t imagine surviving for long as I can’t speak any of the European languages well. I would be a real odd ball and most likely be burned right away as a witch.
If I landed in Spain, I would tell a story about how the ship that I was on sank just off the coast and I swam to shore. Maybe I could get a low level worker job on a Spanish ship of some sort.
Over time I’d make an attempt to communicate with the captain and tell him of a far away land that I came from. A land rich in gold and silver. A land that occupied by weak people like me who would be very easy to concur and he will become rich and famous simply by going there. Sailors in the 13 century may have knew that the world wasn’t flat so I might be able to convince to sail west for great riches and glory.
As soon as we land in North America, I would run off into the woods and try to live the rest of a very short life with the America Indians.

I would do fine with my “Boomstick” in hand ;)

Can I bring my iPad?

I don’t know that I’d last long. I’m so soft and doughy. Plus I’m already a loud mouth in this century. I’d most definitely be put to death for defying some bible/misogynist thing. Anything flashy I’d do to try to save myself would probably land me a burning at the stake. To attempt a normal life, I’d get a gig doing housework for some rich people. Sigh… realistically, I’d probably end up a whore and die of syphilis.

haha this is very interesting, if i was studding medieval time then im sure there is a text book next to me. so i would grab the text book so i would know every event that would happen to their times so i can live of as a ancient time teller from the east. but the problem is….well first of all i am Chinese/Asian the Europeans would think i am either an alien or a monster. but my second best option is i can simply uses my 20th century persuading skills to convince those fellas that i am the holy knight sent from the Greek gods. i will show them my skills by slaying a lion in the mountains and ask them for the most badass-est sword they have-and take off with it! then i will repeat these stories as i travel through my way back to china or find some where with a bunch of medieval time hippies where everyone just get along with everyone>;]

I’d claim to be an educated noble-born traveler from someplace quite distant (clearly I have some very fine very foreign clothes, am intelligent/educated, healthy, probably taller than anyone I meet will ever have seen, think highly of myself and speak foreign languages), and to try to find some likable aristocrats to befriend. I’d have to be from someplace without horses, since I’m not a horseman. I know a lot about geography, medieval military, mathematics, linguistics, etc. I expect I could get set up as a knight or courtier somewhere.

Depends. Can I bring my trebuchet, or do I have to make a new one?

@dpworkin – You will be able to pick one up at Trebuchet’s R’ Us

@dpworkin You could even start your own trebuchet engineer company. I think you’re set either way.

Oh man. It’d be like a dream come true. I’ve been a medieval history buff for years. Not to mention an amateur swordsman. I’m pretty sure I’d be set. I’m pretty sure I’d able to learn the language quickly, and lop the head off the first one who tries to kill me.
The possibilities are endless, it’d be awesome. I wouldn’t even care if I can come back. Honestly the way our world is, I think we’d all be better off.

Librarians are of use everywhere; athough I might do better in Alexandria before the burning than Medieval Europe. However, if I could find my way to the Duc du Berry, I would offer to take care of his manuscripts and particularly son Tres Rches Heures. Otherwise, I would try to find the poetess Christine de Paysan and see if I could be of use to her.

I spin yarn and know how to weave, garden, and cook. Surely there would be employment for me somewhere.

I would die quickly because I can’t stand to go more than a day or two without a bath.

And no one brushes their teeth.

What teeth?

Actually…

@laureth – I would need a 20th century type of brushing. :-)