Getting ready to go has involved lots of logistics. Most of it has been relatively painless. Yesterday we went to the travel clinic to get some vaccinations. We reviewed CDC recommendations for the various places we will travel. In addition to the often discussed “Montezuma’s Revenge” – there is a lengthy list of potential diseases and ailments the western traveler might encounter tromping through South America, SE Asia and Africa. The fix is offering yourself up as a pin cushion. I had prepared the kids by counting down on the calendar the days remaining until “shot day” and advising that we might need shots in the posterior or (who knows?) maybe even the stomach! My teasing was really a way to mask my own insecurity because, honestly, I don’t like getting stuck with needles. So, with Lee protesting loudly, we went to the clinic. Much to their delight, many of the shots that were required – were shots they had already. So while Anne and I bared our biceps for 6 shots apiece, the kids each got off with a single Yellow Fever shot. The truth is the shots were not as bad as the dread leading up to them. Despite some soreness today, it wasn’t that big a deal, and I’m happy to be protected from typhoid and Japanese encephalitis. That being said, there was some real pain involved in the whole ordeal. It seems insurance doesn’t cover most of the shots we needed – so the trip to the travel clinic cost about the same as a month’s accommodations in Central America. OUCH!
And They're Off. . . 