4 ways to cope when getting sick when you travel

Travel confession. Okay, here's goes...

I'm EXHAUSTED and a little sick.

We just returned from our 4 day Thanksgiving Hong Kong trip (which is more like a week-long trip if I tack on the Shanghai part of it at the beginning of last week), and as fate would have it, I got sick AGAIN.

Actually, I feel like I've been sick for a month already. It sort of phases in and out, I feel better one day, energetic and raring to go, then horrible again the next. What is going on? I'm usually the picture of health, hardly ever missing a day of work or feeling despondent in my pajamas all day.

And since when do I get sick while traveling? Isn't that about the worst possible time to get congested or have one of those prickly headaches that migrates all over the head and behind the eyes?

Getting sick while you're traveling is painful in just so many ways. First off, the fact that you aren't as mobile is really sad. Walking around and exploring is definitely not appealing. Second, most of us make a tremendous effort to get to that country in the first place- schedules have to be arranged, tickets bought, visas applied for, hotels booked, etc... and who knows if we ever have the chance to be back there again? Finally and perhaps the worst, I can't stand losing my sense of taste and not being able to savor what I eat. I think I would become a very depressed person if I permanently couldn't experience food anymore. Needless to say, not being able to appreciate the salty sweetness of an almond croissant in Paris or a fine savory trattoria meal in Italy is plain cruelty.

Well, despite the lethargy, and hacking, and sneezing that strained the blood vessels in my eyes, we did manage to have a nice time in Hong Kong with - and this is very important- adjusted expectations. There are loads of photos and videos of bird markets, frying intestines, and BBQ pork steam buns to upload, and I will do that soon. This weekend, I promise.

But until then, here are some of my strategies for dealing with illness while you're away from home and out in the world on vacation somewhere.

1. Thank goodness, almost all countries in the world have a version of chicken soup. I'm serious... it may have lemon in it in Greece, or ginger and ginseng in Taiwan, but it can be found anywhere in the world and it's universally good. Get a big bowl and slurp it down.

2. Find a public place where you can be immobile, but still glean something of the local culture. Parks and shopping centers are consistently good for people observation and weird going-ons. Rest the bones, sit still, and just watch the surroundings like a fly on the wall. You'd be surprised how pleasant and informative it can be, even when you feel your most horrid.

3. Adjust how you think you're going to spend your time there, obviously. Take shorter trips out into the world, and then go back for a rest. Cross off all the extraneous activities on the itinerary and only do the one that is most meaningful to you.

4. Take taxis. This last one is tough for me since I love walking about in foreign places. I feel that a traveler sees so much more and is more likely to stumble upon a hidden undiscovered place while walking. I also don't like the added expense... but I do like reserving my energy, so it's necessary to pay someone to cart me quickly and easily where I need to go.

These are a few of my solutions for coping with a desperate travel situation, but how do you do it? What are your tips for mildly enjoying yourself when you've already paid a load of money for a trip and then gotten sick?

Freelance writing opportunity

Since I started blogging more seriously about a year ago, I've rekindled my interest in reading and writing. I always had it as a youngster-- as a child I would pour over books for hours and hours. My dream husband was Hans Christian Andersen, and at 10 years old, I wanted to be a novelist.

Through the years, though, aspects of being an adult such as working, relationships, and just daily living separated me from those early dreams.

However, recently because of residing abroad and being in a lucky position to "reinvent" a career, I decided to try my hand at freelance writing. It turns out, luckily, that there are loads of online writing opportunities out there, both paying and resume-enhancing.

So far, one of the sites I've really enjoyed writing for is Examiner.com, particularly because I get choose my own topics and titles, as opposed to selecting from an established list. Since I'm in Japan now, I write mostly travel related articles.

View my Examiner.com articles here.

But Examiner.com accepts writers from any niche. Would you enjoy writing about parenting? What about cooking? Book reviews? There's really something for everyone, and you can even invent your own title.

Right now, Examiner. com is recruiting new writers. The application process is easy, and within a few days, you just might be on your way to freelancing yourself. Check out their site here, for more information.

Shanghai Baby

I promise to tell detailed stories about Shanghai soon, but for now, here are a few of my favorite images from the trip. We're busy getting ready for our next foray out in the world- Hong Kong just in time for Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for travel!

Tiger Hill Pagoda

Old Town street art

Old Shanghai Teahouse. Isn't the tea gorgeous with the big red flower floating in it?

Old Canal Suzhou

Wedding portraits

Edible sugar art design on a stick. Amazing video of the whole creation to come soon...

About 10 times a day on the famous Nanjing Road, the busiest shopping street in Asia, I was approached by hawkers offering up astounding bargains on knockoff designer bags they pretended were real, "Lady, lady... want Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton?" When I didn't bite, they moved on to hustling fake Rolex and Breitling watches. Hmm... tempting, but no.

What I really regret not buying, however, was this small figurine of Chairman Mao enjoying a coke.

Oh, why didn't I just buy it? I felt horrible remorse once I returned to Okinawa and did a mad search online for one, but to no avail...now it's lost to me forever. Foolish me... why didn't I realize in the moment how awesome that is?

New Window of Opportunity

Just returning from my trip to Shanghai... lots of fun stories to tell including haggling for souvenirs in Old Town Shanghai, my water village boat ride, and 3 day carb-laden restricted diet of nothing but croissants and soup dumplings.

But first, I wanted to share my news.

A while back, I read one of those new agey self-realization books kind of like "The Secret" only not that freakish but similarly full of cheesy affirmations and the whole vision board and all that. You know what I am talking about, right?

Well, I tried out this little exercise in which I wrote down "things" that I wanted to attract into my life. I did this as an experiment and for fun, not taking it all that seriously because of course I know perfectly well you have to work for what you want. Rarely, does it just magically appear into your lap out of thin air.

Anyway, one of the things I wrote on my list was "free travel", and I knew how ridiculous and indulgent THAT was because when is it ever free?

Well, low and behold, my crazy wish for "free travel" has actually sort of come true. I have been given an opportunity to become a tour escort on international and local tours from here to other countries in Asia as well as around neighboring Japanese islands.

Needless to say, I am well aware that it's not completely free since I will be traveling on an official capacity and have to deal with whatever problems that may arise on the trip, which may be a complete nightmare sometimes if it involves people slipping in the shower or getting lost or sick or gasp, arrested and thrown in jail.

But people, it's travel!

So, I might live to regret the whole experience once it stops being fun and starts feeling like work, but right now I am excited.

I'm also curious. I'm curious about you and your experience with "envisioning" that which you want... have you ever done it? Master wish lists, magazine clippings, meditative trances, any other wacky techniques... did any of it work?

Soup Dumplings!

I'm preparing to leave for Shanghai in a few days on my solo trip. Although I wrote here before that I was feeling a little anxious about traveling by myself, so many of you encouraged me to feel good about it, and I have to say that now I do. Thank you!

In addition, I looked up an old acquaintance who happens to live in Shanghai now, so I am planning to meet up with one known person there, and hopefully get an insider's take on the metropolis.

First things first, though, as soon as I get situated, I'm heading straight to find myself a famous Shanghai soup dumpling. These culinary treats are amazing, though you have to tread carefully as the contents are fiery hot and explosive! Danger awaits, but oh so worth it.

Also, I'm officially announcing my new project as a Cultural Travel writer for Examiner. com. More about this later, but please please check out my first article here!

I'll be back soon with some adventure stories from China, that is if I don't get thrown in the Bund.

Night Fair

I realized years ago that some cultures around the world are "night cultures", meaning that the really fun stuff happens after sunset and people come alive. It's certainly true of Japan, where during the day they are mild mannered and polite, but as soon as the neon comes out, they can become rowdy and festive, filling noisy restaurants and bars until stumbling home early in the morning.

We got a little taste of night culture in Okinawa last weekend when we attended an event similar to a county fair in the states. They were vendors selling steamed sweet potatoes, yakitori, goldfish and baby chicks, and Orion (Okinawan beer) of course.

They also had a stage with musical performances, but the most interesting part of the night was a very dramatic symbolic procession, honoring the seas and hoping for good harvest this year. Dozens of drummers, red cloaked women carrying torches, and Eisa dancers walked along a huge wooden boat being steered down a narrow corridor. On top of the boat were children and adults wearing traditional Ryukan clothing.

But don't take my word for it- watch this short video of some of the best scenes of the night.

This is going to sound strange, but sometimes when I travel or live abroad, I forget that I am in another country. Of course, cognitively I know I am, but I become desensitized to the "foreignness" after a point. And then, I find myself in some unexpected and unique situation and I'm hit all of the sudden with how large and wonderfully diverse and exciting the world is. It makes me so happy to be living and able to experience it.

So you know that feeling of awe that we're all part of this huge world? Fellow readers and travelers, when you felt it?

How Has Travel Shaped You?

On a whim last week, I picked up a new novel at the library without really knowing anything about it.

I do it that way often rather than seeking out bestsellers or even classics-- I love feeling surprised by a new discovery and the randomness of it. Of course, the title had the word travel in it, which is always alluring to me. On top of that the author, Sue Monk Kidd, is the creator of "The Secret Life of Bees", which I fell hard for.

In any case, I inhaled this book in about two days... it was about travel to Greece, Turkey, and France, but also about travel with a loved one, and also the epiphanies we have while we're in a foreign environment.
The book got me thinking about my own life and travel adventures, and how it's certainly true that I've learned things about myself, made life-changing decisions, and been inspired by things I've seen and experienced away from home.

A few major events come to mind-- as a middle school student in Mexico, I first grappled with poverty and what it means to live in a developing country. From that point, I learned to appreciate every material comfort I had, and at the same time to disassociate things with fulfillment.

Later, as a Peace Corps in Namibia, I learned to intuit whether situations were safe or dangerous, and more importantly, when I had no control over outcomes, to simply "trust" other people.

I would say now in Japan as a married person without a career (a scary prospect to me lately), I'm looking for new and fresh ways to carve a niche for myself and feeling excited about that. More about this big change to come...

Finally, I've had the other kinds of epiphanies abroad too- I decided to end a relationship that wasn't right for me, I learned that I really can drive a stick shift up an icy mountain in Poland, and now I know how to barter over the price of a scarf with the best of them.

So, what about you out there? What have you learned about yourself away from home? What big decisions have you made? How has travel shaped or changed you?