Ouch, that hurts...

Shots are mandatory for some of our destinations, so today we visited our local county health department to receive the yellow fever and typhoid fever vaccines.  As usual, they scare you to death with all the warnings, particularly the one about your imminent death if you're the lucky 1 in 20,000 that "might" have a very adverse reaction.  I'd call death pretty adverse.  These are better odds than winning the lottery, so I thought I needed to ask a few more questions before rolling up my sleeve.  The very nice and well informed nurse reported not losing a single patient in her 20+ years of doling out shots, so up went the sleeve.  So far all I've experienced is a sore arm but I guess my greatest risk comes next week.  If this is my last entry, you can assume I was the "winner" in adverse risk lottery....

Now where did I put that lens....

Let's face it, my fifty year-old-brain just ain't what it used to be. I needed a way to record this trip in some fashion that would keep it alive for years to come. I've admired for years a friend's office wall full of some of the most beautiful photos of a trip to India I've ever seen. These are those vibrant, sole capturing pieces of art we've all admired in travel mags that tell the story of a locale with just a glance. I wanted to be able to take those pictures, tell those stories. My snapping skills to date entailed capturing my children dressed as gators for Reptile Day and trying (but not succeeding) to capture a base hit at a middle school baseball game. Not exactly National Geographic worthy. Where to go for the instruction I needed to step up my game in time for take-off? The aforementioned mag, Net'l Geo, offers weekend workshops to help sharpen photo skills in cities around the country. After consulting the calendar, a reservation was made for NYC in September. I just know these icons of the travel photograph will be able convert me to a passable photographer able to document our travels in a satisfactory way.

Next: outfitting for the world traveler

Reading lists on steroids

Materials received from the travel company included a 'suggested' reading list that, if completed, would qualify me for PhD's in Ancient Cultures, Biology, Zoology, and Religous Studies. As much as I admire those who aspire to this level of understanding and enlightenment, I needed to find a realistic course for my education. My mission: to have some base understanding of the sights I'll see and the people I'll meet. A plea was posted to Facebook friends to post their favorite books dealing with any of the stops on the trip. Next, reading reviews on Amazon to narrow the list to something I can manage without joining a 'reading' monastery for the next several months. I still needed to attend to every day chores during this preparation period. I also needed to admit I am a reader of average speed at best. No 1000 page tombs grace my list. With a book or two for each destination, I now started considering other aspects that would enhance my traveling experience.

Next: one , two, three...say "Cheese"

Details, details, details

Past trips usually involved nothing more complex than what size suitcase I could take or whether I would need to dress for dinners. This one is an entirely different breed with more than one checklist to complete before even being allowed to step foot on the plane. Passports, physicals, shots (and shots and, did I mention, shots), Visas, all details needed to be completed before departure. A visit to the doctor laid out a course for the next six months to update childhood immunizations(thought having the measles at 6 protected you for life, think again), yellow fever shots, anti-malaria pills and assembling a medical prevention kit for all those challenges you hope you won't encounter but need to be prepared for none the less. Am I really ready for a trip that takes this much preparation? Time will tell....

Next: How about to prepare my brain.

How it all began

'Hey, we just received a brochure from our son's college for a once in a lifetime trip around the world and thought of you!'. So began this bucket list worthy trip to see some of the greatest sights the world has to offer. It didn't take much convincing for us to send off our deposit to join the adventure. The trip:21 days on a jet dedicated to our tour with a chef, doctor and learned authorities to help educate us on what we were about to discover. The itinerary includes places I've only seen on the pages of National Geographic. Machu Picchu, The Taj Mahal, Easter Island, the Great Barrier Reef, Samoa, Angkor Wat, Ngorongo Crater, the Pyramids and the Sphinx, Morocco, all fantastic destinations by themselves not to mention bundled together into the trip of a lifetime.

Next: how to prepare