So, you’ve caught the travel bug? And not the fun one. Unfortunately, even though we feel invincible while travelling, we’re not immune to everything. But how do you tackle sickness while tackling the travel blues?
Before we get started, let me just take a second to highlight the importance of travel insurance. Things can go wrong, and if they do, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t be blindsided by high medical costs because you overlooked travel insurance.
Now, let’s get to it!
1. Analyse your Condition:
- First thing’s first, check yourself out. Full disclosure: I’m not a doctor. I’m writing a very broad blog right now because I am not entirely sure what ails you but take a moment to observe your condition and analyse your health. If your condition is dire, go to a hospital. If you’re not improving, find a doctor. If you are improving, fantastic. If you ate a bad prawn pizza that made you throw up seven times (from both ends), chug some electrolytes. If you’ve got a bug and you’re confident you don’t need medical assistance, read on.
2. Rest:
- Nap time, baby! Find a nice hostel with curtains (or a hotel, if that’s more your style), build a nest, and settle into a nice book or a long Netflix series. I know it’s not what you want to hear. You’re supposed to be out and about exploring this incredible new land! Yes, well, I’m sorry. I don’t make the rules. The more you put off resting, the more your body is going to fight you, and the worse you will be in the long run. When I was in Croatia, I got sick. MULTIPLE TIMES. IN ONE WEEK. Food poisoning from a prawn pizza. And then bronchitis from my sailing trip. So, I consider myself a bit of an expert when it comes to dealing with both foodborne and viral illnesses whilst on the opposite side of the world. And you know what the first thing I did in both cases was? Yes, you got it! I rested all day!
3. Gather Supplies:
- It’s time to gather supplies. Top priorities: water, food, and medicine. If you’re too weak to leave your bed, ask the team in your accommodation if they may be able to grab you something. If you’re strong enough to leave your bed, exercise safe hygiene precautions, please. Acquire a nice supply of water plus some electrolytes if you can source some. Secure some nibblies to build up your strength – if nothing else, grab some plain crackers. And depending on your condition, source a local pharmacy for some medication. Most travellers will bring medications with them abroad. When packing, I, too, packed what I believed to be the most important medications: hay fever tablets (to pat all the kitties), Panadol (to fight the headaches of crazy travel days), and birth control (to regulate my period, you pervert). Nothing that could assist with my illnesses. But after throwing up seven times in one night (curse you, prawn pizza), I chugged those electrolyte drinks like crazy and recovered pretty nicely. Pro tip: if the prawns are mushy, abort mission.
4. Try Not to be *That* Person:
- The thing about travel illnesses is that some are quiet, but some are very loud. If you’re travelling via hostels and you’re tackling a chesty cough or a sloppy runny nose, maybe book yourself a private room? Did I? No. Because I’m a hypocrite and I was in denial about how sick I was. However, my cursed bronchitis cough definitely annoyed my roommates, even prompting a couple of girls to change rooms. Luckily most people were extremely understanding, including the hostel manager. But in the future, out of sheer courtesy, I would opt to change to a private room purely to spare the sanity of my neighbours and avoid angry stares in the morning.
5. Reassure Yourself
- The thing about getting sick while travelling is, it sucks. You didn’t spend all this money on an exotic trip just to spend every day in bed instead! But sometimes that’s the reality and we just have to accept it. Remind yourself that even though things might not feel too great now and you’re missing out on a lot of insane adventures, there’s still so much time to live out those adventures later. Plans change and we adapt. That’s a big part of travelling and that’s a big thing that throws first-time travellers off. Things can and will go wrong, and you’ll find a way to overcome them.
6. Take Your Time
- If you’re anything like me, you think you’re too tough for the common flu and you can keep going, no worries! I pushed myself to my limits and eventually crashed when I reached Vienna, Austria. I left the hostel in the morning for a snack run. And then I did not leave again for the rest of the day. My body was tired, I was mentally exhausted, and my bronchitis was relenting no matter how many medications I put in my system. So, I rested, again. And by the time I reached my next destination (Budapest, Hungary), I was ready to dominate the hostel again. What I’m saying is, you might feel this pressure to be back in full form as soon as possible. But you can’t rush health. Don’t let the fear of FOMO push you too far.
7. Ease Yourself Back into It
- You’ve been patient, now spread your wings and see if you can stay in the air. Start slow and build your way back up. Say, “screw you, travel sickness!” and conquer whichever new land you have woken up in. Fingers crossed your body is onboard and you can finally scratch those itchy feet again. If not, return to your temporary home and REST. Rest makes the world go round, or something like that.
8. Treat Yourself
- Hey you, yeah you. You’ve conquered the travel bug! Woohoo! I am a very big advocate of treating yourself and I’m here to tell you, you’re doing great, sweetie! Take yourself out on the town, make some new friends, explore a national park, do whatever makes your heart soar. It’s not unusual to hit a slump after recovering from weeks of feeling weak. So, treat yourself. You’ve earnt it!
9. Learn from the Experience
- If nothing else, treat the whole ordeal as a learning experience. I learned that I am very capable of still having a good time despite horrible prawn pizza food poisoning and crippling bronchitis. And I’m sure, no matter what currently ails you, it’ll be a productive learning experience for you too! Or maybe that’s just the optimist in me.
So, let’s recap: if it’s serious, seek medical attention. If it’s self-manageable, rest, nest, and recover. RNR, the travel edition. Stay thriving!