Blogtember: A September blog challenge

"If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?"  As part of this self imposed blog writing gig, I read other blogs for ideas, inspiration, challenges and general interest. A friend was telling me about this "Blobtember" Challenge  posted by "story of my life" blog where every day for the month of September a new question/topic will be raised and bloggers rise to the challenge of writing about the chosen topic...said friend thought today's question related to my travel blogging which did peak my interest. As I was updating my blog last night a side bar of this very topic started to overwhelm me, it's wasn't the stress of where will I go next but how will I get the time off from work to go?  I work a regular 40 hr a week job with pretty generous vacation and holiday leave but still with must do trips like visit family, take kids to college etc., there really isn't much left for the world according to me to visit.  I have another California trip coming up and I will have blown all my leave for the rest of 2013. I actually have to make up a day because of this last trip. I know, I know, such problems to have.  So today's "Blogtember" question isn't going to be answered by a destination reveal, it's going to be pondered on with how can I really take three months off?  I could try family leave, that's 3 months, or disability but both are cheating the system, I could try maternity leave (lord, no) or I could just come here every day and work not for the sheer enjoyment of my job but for the leave I earn.  I will continue to drop hints to my bosses that prove I do not need to be in the office daily and could easily do this work from a laptop in Bali, Seychelles, Bahamas, Slovenia or wherever my stash of travel points take me but somehow they just aren't buying it. I can't even get them to understand how I do all this travel for little to nothing out of pocket which is why I write the blog I do.  So for now, until such a challenge can become reality I'll continue to give my career the 100% it deserves until 4:30 pm each day but come 4:31 pm my life truly begins living.           

The Fine Print

We've all seen it and most likely ignored it, its the fine print that instills fear. Anything 'bad" is written small, so small in fact that either very young eyes or magnifiers must be used to heed the warnings.  I've encountered some fine print that is most likely going to have me ill all weekend.  With only about three weeks until departure for my Asia Adventure its time to start taking one of the oral vaccines I was prescribed.

A Little Fame Never Hurt

An impromptu television appearance capped my early morning drive to the beach on the Friday of Memorial weekend. I was getting an early start (read 4 AM) to beat the colossal traffic jam certain to occur in a few hours.  I basically rolled out of bed and jumped in the car.  I made great time.  Once over the bay bridge I decided to stop for gas, its now 5AM and I swear no one was around, I'm fumbling with the gas pump when out of nowhere comes super perky TV anchor and camera man wanting to ask me about my "get on the road early drive to the beach strategy", before I could digest what was happening, it was lights, camera action....   

The Agony of Shots

I hate needles.  I’ve spent the majority of my life avoiding needles, then I decided to go to Thailand.  The thought of traveling there was exotic and challenging because of course I had no intention of paying significant amounts of money for airfare or hotels.  I was energized by the planning process, secretly gloating about my ability to mastermind such a trip with so little out of pocket expense.  All that euphoria came crashing down when I found out I needed 8 shots.  I started to sweat and then seriously considered booking another trip to Europe.  Eight shots in a couple months time; I don’t think I’ve had 8 shots in the last 10 years.  I never get a flu shot, I don’t give blood and now I have no choice but to sit for 8 shots.  I first had to read a lot because many primary care doctors don’t know what you need or know how these shots interact with various medicines etc., you have to guide them thru it. I seriously believe my primary was glad to pawn me off on the travel doctor after the basic shots were administered because I constantly made her look things up.  I started with a tetanus booster.  Then it was determined I should have Hep A & B both of which are administered as part of a series over the course of several months.  Before  Hep A & B were administered the doc drew blood (another needle) to see if I already had immunities to hepatitis, I didn’t.  Then another trip to the primary for the actual  Hep A & B immunization. Incidentally, B hurts more than A.  After that visit I returned in 30 days for the 2^nd of 3 in the series for Hep B.  At that visit I was given a prescription for Malaria pills, an antibiotic and something to prevent a urinary infection that can be brought on by the antibiotic.  I was also given some sound advice for taking the Malaria pill that went something like this…."if you throw up within an hour of taking the malaria drug you must take another pill, if you throw up after an hour a second pill is not needed."  As much as I hate needles, I hate throwing up more but it looks like there wasn’t an option for "if" I throw up it was more like "when" I throw up; wonderful.  I start taking those pills a few days before departure and continue throughout the trip until 7 days after my return.  My primary doctor also gave me orders for the yellow fever  and thyphoid shots but they had to be administered by an office authorized by the CDC for distribution of the drugs. You must call ahead to see if they have them in stock.  Yesterday, I had my yellow fever shot and oh my god, that shot hurt.  Fortunately, all typhoid vaccines were recalled across the country as they proved ineffective so I escaped the needle there.  Instead an oral version of the drug was provided but I have not taken it yet.  After my return from Thailand I go back to the primary doctor for the last Hep A& B series shots and I’ll be all done.   This is really the only reason I will head over to South Africa within a year of returning from Thailand so I can take advantage of all these inoculations.  I also, should add that the specialty shots are not covered by insurance and the yellow fever vaccine was $188.  At least I can recoup that cost thru my flexible spending account.  So yes, I’m pretty much over this whole Thailand trip, a week at a local beach sounds more restful at this point.           

What is Sundry by Sage?

Today we take a side path away from travel talk, as I mention in my welcome, this blog will be multi dimensional, just like me,  I always have several “projects” going on at any given time so if you only tuned in for the travel tips take a breather today.