Travel Nurse

The Target pharmacist gave me a strange look when I handed her my list of prescribed antibiotics: Thirty tablets of Ciprofloxacin, 120 tablets of Doxcycline and 2 prescriptions for Azithromycin. "Do you need all of these filled at once?" she asked in a manner that suggested I may set up a clinic in the parking lot. Yes, please. After all, the last thing I want is to get sick on my trip.

Not that I don't expect some sort of stomach revolt. I'm an adventurous eater. I fully plan to eat bugs, brains and balls! However, beyond the obligatory Delhi Belly, there's a whole host of illnesses that one can get while traveling. And since wearing a Swine Flu face mask may get in the way of my photography, I need to have a plan. 

A quick trip to the Mills-Peninsula travel nurse was all I needed to get me into travel shape. With a copy of your itinerary, they can provide the latest information on required vaccinations, potential illnesses, outbreaks, symptoms and foods to avoid. Over the course of two visits, I've been poked, prodded and pretty much vaccinated for anything I could be exposed to, including some of these nasties that still exist in parts of the world:

• Typhoid Fever: Spread through contaminated food, drink or water. Symptoms include fever (over 103 degrees), rash, abdominal pain. Symptoms can reoccur even after treated.
• Yellow Fever: A virus spread by mosquitoes. It has three stages that range from headache, muscle aches and vomiting to heart, liver and kidney failure, seizures and coma. Most importantly, there is no specific treatment for yellow fever and it can result in death. Kenya and Tanzania require you provide proof of yellow fever immunization before arrival.
• Japanese Encephalitis: Spread by mosquitoes. Symptoms include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions and paralysis.
• Polio: Viral disease that can lead to partial or full paralysis. Since the invention of the Polio vaccine, the incidence has been reduced; however it still exists in Africa, India and Asia. 
• Hepatitis A/B: Good preventative shot, in my opinion, although insurance may not cover it. 
• Tetanus:  A medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers, severe cases require intensive care. 
• Malaria: Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea and can lead to kidney failure, coma and death. While I had heard fun stories about the pills that give you hallucinations, I opted for Doxycycline. 

Getting my vaccinations helped me appreciate how fortunate we are to live in a country, where despite our differing opinions on health care reform, we can pretty much eat and drink without worry of food-born illness. We'll never see Polio in our lifetime. It's unlikely we, or anyone we know, will die of a mosquito bite. And if we need a rabies shot, it's a drive away, not an airplane ride away. We may not like how much it costs (my vaccinations were not cheap, nor insurance covered), but we can feel generally confident in our ability to get health care, medications and vaccinations, when needed. 

As I picked up my prescriptions, I felt a little more assured in my ability to stay healthy. While I may not be able to prevent everything that could happen to me, at least I can punch back against the dreaded Delhi Belly...

Special thanks to my tax accountant, Ursula Wisniewski, for referring me to the Mills-Peninsula travel nurse and educating me on the importance of being prepared. 

If you plan to travel internationally, this website is a good place to start: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/

Laos on the List!

Over Cinco de Mayo celebrations this weekend, Laos officially made "The List". Keeping with my motto of "all good things come in threes," Laos has been mentioned three times in the last two weeks, therefore making it worthy of a visit. Here's how Laos got on my travel list: 

• On a flight from SFO to Newark, I sat next to a "talker", who in addition to telling me I needed to go to Laos, also schooled me on the bio-agriculture movement, probiotic studies done on rats, friends in LA that studied metaphysics, mind-boggling, new age modalities that somehow involve lying in the buff on a massage table (what?!?) and his latest psychedelic folk album (that was before he became a venture capitalist). Whew!
• While enjoying cocktails at my friend Siobhan's new swanky pad, my friend Angie mentioned she had heard good things about Laos.
• At a friend's Cinco de Mayo party, I was told if I go anywhere in Southeast Asia, I must go to Laos. I was treated to stories about elephant rides, friendly locals and tubing down the Mekong, where supposedly you can stop by huts for a drink as you ride along....

Something about riding down a river sounds simply sublime. And an elephant ride that moves deliberately and slowly, so unlike our every day lives, is something my soul could use. Friendly locals are an added bonus. Hope they are friendly to photographers.

And so Laos is on the List as an excursion from Vietnam in November. I already have a feeling it will be a place I'll never want to leave...

A Word About Courage

I wanted to take a minute to talk about courage. Last week, I booked my airfare reservations. Something about putting the non-refundable tickets on my credit card made it real, not just part of my imagination. The commitment has been made and I'll admit, it's scary. Once you make a stand for something you believe in, there's no turning back. There's no safety net, no way to say, "Never mind that, I want to return to my safe little corner in the world." 

I have received many supportive comments from friends about how the decision to take this trip is courageous. I am thankful for them all, because it's this encouragement that keeps me going. I'm also incredibly touched and inspired by their own acts of courage they've shared. Such as: 

• Theresa who decided it was time to submit her graduate application and follow her bliss. Go Theresa!
• Stacie who took time away from her family and traveled thousands of miles from her safety net to support her best friend in Australia. 

To be honest, I don't know how courageous my trip is. It may seem like a 'big' decision, but it is no more courageous than the little decisions we are faced with every day. Courage lies in little acts of faith. It is in the heart of actions such as choosing to invest time in ourselves, speaking our truth to those we care about at the risk of rejection, or standing up to jobs, friendships or relationships that no longer meet our needs. 

It takes courage every time we are challenged to believe we are worthy enough to allow our dreams become reality instead of letting our doubts kill them slowly. It's easy to return to something that's comfortable but not satisfying. It takes courage to believe we are capable and deserving of so much more.

But here's one thing no one will tell you about living with determination and courage: it can be a lonely place. As soon as we make the leap, someone will be there to tell you why it shouldn't or couldn't be done. Or worst, those closest to us may not understand or be able to provide the support we need. One of my friends, upon hearing my decision, told me that instead of spending money on my trip, I should invest it in real estate. I've had former work colleagues try to tempt me away with well-paying job opportunities. Certain personal relationships have suffered dearly over this decision.

When you start living courageously, some people just won't be able to accompany you on your journey. And that's okay, because others will show up to join you and lift you up.

Thank you to all of you that have joined me and whose daily acts of courage continually inspire and amaze me. 

All A Dollar

"Seventeen countries. Six weeks. One pair of award-winning underwear!" boasted the claim on a pair of matronly-looking 'travel underwear'. Really? And while we're at it, ewwwwwh.  

Last Saturday, I spent a frustrating hour at a "bargain basement" sporting store trying to stock up on basics for my trip. Little did I know that I should be shelling out $15 (on sale!) for 100% polyester underwear that I never have to change. After all, aren't most women's underwear "lightweight," "synthetic material," and "compact?" And honestly, I think you have bigger worries if you don't have space in your bag to pack more than one pair of panties. Seriously people. 

Which made me think, how much of the niche, travel supply products are really necessities and how much, with a little creativity, can be found elsewhere? Does one really need to pay $9.99 for a mesh travel bag to separate our clean from dirty laundry? 

So instead, I made a trek to my favorite dollar store at 17th and Mission. Yes, the one without a name, just a big "One Dollar" sign announcing its intentions and a perpetually smashed out side window. Nothing fancy, but at the end of the day I got the following for under $10:  

- 2 travel mesh bags (Devil's advocate: the quality is probably not as good as sporting supply stores, but then I'm only traveling for a few months.)

- Plastic container with separate compartments - I think this will be great to separate small items, cords, maybe even makeup. 

- Coffee Filters - Heard that along with a Steripen, these are great for filtering particles out of water.

- Earplugs - Helpful at hostels and other noisy hotels (or when you don't want to hear your seat mate snore).

- Laundry pins and rope. In fun neon colors too!

- Drain stoppers in multiple sizes. Good for plugging sinks to do laundry.

- Travel bottle set. Selling up to $10 elsewhere!

And with the money I saved, I bought me these....a few motivational stickers for my trip. 

Drum Roll Please...My Travel Itinerary

For me, one of the most challenging parts of planning this trip has been deciding where to go and for how long. One of my big fears is that I'll miss something or not give myself enough time in a certain place. As much as it's nice to daydream about wandering the globe like some vagabond, at some point budget takes over and you have to book the airfare, or at least part of it. Commitment has been the toughest part!

So here it the first round itinerary, subject to synchronicity, magical interventions and my whim to wander the globe like the vagabond I am: 

Portland: Jul 5th - 8th

Brooklyn: Jul 9th - 11th

Iceland: Jul 11th - July 17th

Paris/Amsterdam/London: Jul 17th - 25th

Copenhagen: Jul 25th - Jul 29th

Berlin: Jul 29th - Aug 3rd

Budapest: Aug 3rd - Aug 7th

Lisbon: Aug 7th - Aug 9th

Barcelona: Aug 9th - Aug 17th

Rome/Italy: Aug 17th - Aug 25th

Croatia: Aug 25th - Sept 8th

Kenya/Tanzania/Zanzibar: Sept 8th - Oct 6th

India (Mumbai, Jaipur): Oct 6th - Nov 3rd

Kuala Lumper: Nov 3rd - Nov 7th

Vietnam (Saigon) & Laos: Nov 7th - Dec 2nd

Japan (Tokyo): Dec 2nd - Dec 8th

Home Sweet Home San Francisco: Dec 7th (due to time change)

Unfortunately, I had to delete Galapagos Islands and Cuba from the list due to costs or difficulty in flight connections. But I am open to pleas to place them back on the map, so to speak. 

Anything else you'd add/subtract/revise? Places, people or attractions to recommend? Please comment if so. I look forward to hearing from you!