I felt like I was driving into the opening scene of a horror movie on my way to Chaco Canyon. The scary drive and storm were worth it though. For more details about my trip, checkout my Chaco Canyon post!
There’s bad days on the road just like there are at home.
The good days are glorious – riding camels on beaches in India, watching the sunrise over the towers at Torres del Paine in Patagonia and photographing the Dalai Lama’s teachings in McLeod Ganj. These are the days that people envy. The ones that cause people to stalk my Instagram and say, “I’m living vicariously through your life.”
What people don’t want are the bad days I endured to get to those glorious moments like the 18-hour bus ride in Burma sitting across the aisle from a kid puking in a bag for the ENTIRE trip.
For me, bouts of food poisoning always arrive at the most opportune moments like the middle of the 10-mile hike or on a bumpy flight. There’s nothing more fun than waking up in a swanky hostel in Cancun covered in bed bug bites. (There is NOTHING that itches more.) It was just as much fun as standing beside my car on the side of I-40 in the middle of Missouri after my engine blew.
McLeod Ganj, the home to the Dalai Llama, is one of my favorite cities in India and also the place I’m most accident/illness prone.
And, my personal favorite – the time my foot slipped between the grates of a sewer drain in India when I was walking down the street. Thankfully, it was only knee deep so I didn’t break my leg. This nice Tibetan boy was kind enough to retrieve my flip-flop from the toxic black muck. My leg was so bruised I couldn’t sit Indian-style with my legs crossed for weeks.
Oh, and let’s not forget my hilarious battle with the GIANT Australian spider.
I found myself living in a Western Union commercial when my purse was stolen in Thailand. I lost all of my bank/credit cards except my American Express, which was worthless. (Despite their slogan, those bastards are NOT everywhere you want them to be!) There I was in Cambodia a few days later calling my parent’s at 5 a.m. to transfer me money. (FYI: You can’t transfer yourself money. Trust me, I tried.)
Sadly, life can’t always be filled with sunshine and tacos, but there are always more good days than bad. After 14 years of relentless travel, I wouldn’t change a thing—even the food poisoning. Besides, nothing worthwhile will ever be easy.
If fear of the bad days or any of my stories scare you, learn from my mistakes. Here’s four ways to survive the tough travel days:
I didn’t let my stolen purse ruin my first trip to Southern Thailand. (Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand)
1. Humor
The food poisoning hit me at the top of the mountain in India. I hiked back five miles getting sick every 15 minutes. The next day I was so weak I could barely walk to breakfast. Then, I had to take a two-hour car ride through winding roads to the village where I was working for the next week. My room was so hot at night that I took multiple cold showers every hour or two just to cool off. (Keep in mind, I was still massively dehydrated from the food poisoning so the heat didn’t help.) It was cooler outside than in my room, but if I opened my door, I knew the tiny scorpions would wander in the same way they strolled into my friend’s room down the hall. As I lay there sweating, I couldn’t help but think “This will make a damn good Facebook status update!”
I love a good story. After all, I have two degrees in journalism. Everything I do in life is for a story. Most of the time, bad mishaps make the best stories later. All of this is pretty hilarious to me now as I type this from my air-conditioned room in Austin.
The main thing that gets me through the rough times is the realization that the moment will pass and not come again. And, the story. There is humor in everything. Plus, people LOVE to hear about that bad things that happen do you. Don’t you agree?
2. Be calm
My purse was stolen twice. One in Thailand and again in Spain where they also snagged my iPhone. (Both were my fault. More on that later.) After the initial moments of shock and realizing that my purse was REALLY gone, I whisked through a gamut of emotions that lasted five minutes. I quickly realized that overreacting/crying was not going to change the situation. Being calm and focusing on dealing with the situation was the best way to move forward. This is coming from a girl who often finds it nerve-wracking to decide what to order on a brunch menu. When the stakes are high, I’m calm. When they aren’t, I’m a mess.
Crying won’t make your wallet reappear. Take a deep breath. Access the situation and put all your energy toward the solution.
I spent the morning at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona the day and later that day my iPhone was stolen from the beach.
3. Learn from your mistakes (and mine)
Both stolen purses were identical situations. I was on a beach and not paying attention. (Again, I admit both were totally my fault.) All of my bank cards were in my wallet (except that useless American Express) in Thailand.
Since the beaches in Spain have high-theft rates, I made sure to lock up all my valuables in my hostel locker (based on my experience in Thailand) every night except one. I was rushing to meet some friends and didn’t want to go back to lock up my phone and wallet, which were promptly stolen.
Luckily, I had learned from my previous Thailand incident so at least I had my bank cards and cash hidden in multiple places with my luggage back at the hostel. I still lost my iPhone but luckily, didn’t have to call my parent’s at 5 a.m. to send me money this time. Small victories.
Since that incident in Spain, I travel with a purse with a long strap, which I wear across my body even when sitting down so it’s not as easy to grab. Now, I ALWAYS lock up my phone and wallet when I am in a high-theft area. When I went to dinner at night in Peru, I would only carry enough cash for my meal in my pocket. Everything else was locked up.
In Buenos Aires, I was able to fumble a pick-pocket’s attempt to steal my wallet/phone from my purse based on my previous experiences above.
All of these are hilarious stories in hindsight. (You’ll have to wait for my autobiography to get the ENTIRE story.) The biggest takeaway is to learn from your mistakes to make sure the situation doesn’t happen again. Also, trust your instincts. When something feels strange, get out of the situation immediately.
My foot fell through the grates of a sewer drain on this street in McLeod Ganj, India. (Yes, that’s a stray cow wandering the street.)
4. Be Prepared
It’s always good to plan for the worst if only to reduce your fears. Buy travel insurance and take small precautions that will save you a lot of headache in the long run. Here are few things I do to be prepared:
- Do Your Research. Research potential health or safety concerns in your destination so you can take the proper precautions. Check travel alerts on Travel.State.gov and recent editions of travel guides for current concerns. Ask receptionists and locals for safety advice about places you want to visit.
- Road-side Assistance. There was no way for me to predict that my car engine would blow on I-40 especially since I’d just had the oil changed the day before. But, I had AAA so they towed my car for free to the dealership, which took part of the headache away. (Many credit cards offer similar services.)
- Talk to Your Doctor. For Delhi Belly (food poisoning), my doctor prescribed antibiotics for me to carry on trips since I always seemed to get sick in the middle of nowhere. I also travel with rehydration salts to help with hydration. I always buy medical travel insurance with no deductible so it covers any medical issues and emergency evacuation.
- Back-up Bank Account. I opened a second back-up checking account and always keep that debit card in a different spot than my main card. If one card was stolen, I can easily transfer my money to the other account. (Both accounts are Charles Schwab and have no fees or minimum balance requirements. For more on travel banking, read my Travel Banking 101 post.)
- Don’t Get Hangry. Pack snacks to avoid hanger (anger caused by hunger). I ALWAYS have a snack with me that ranges from bananas to peanuts to a homemade steak sandwich, which come in handy when things are running smooth or when I’m stuck in a bus station in the middle of nowhere.
- For more ways to stay safe on the road, check out my Travel Safety 101 post.
