Tags
Colombia, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Lennon Wall, Mexico, Prague, Russia, travel sickness
The sun is going down on a great year of travel, but the latest trip – Colombia in this final week of the year – has ended with five sick people. Was it the eggs we ate yesterday morning? The ceviche the night before? A parasite in the tap water? No matter – we are all down for the count to various degrees, and my Colombia posts will have to wait for the New Year.
I managed to get my feet out the door to seven other countries this year, and ranged far and wide throughout the U.S. as well. I started off in the freezing cold with Russia, Estonia, and Finland in January, warmed up in Israel, Jordan, and Mexico during the summer, and finished 2015 broiling under the Colombian sun in high-altitude Bogotá and steamy Cartagena. It was a perfect mix of trips – some solo jaunts, various two-person combos, and a few family gatherings.
My final photo of the year shows a thrill I got this summer when son A and his friends gave a shout out to my blog on the Lennon Wall in Prague. I haven’t been able to find a way to use it, but I love the bright pink background and the five minutes of fame I got before someone no doubt painted over it.
Happy trails, voyages, or whatever you might wish for in 2016!
One Foot Out the Door 
Hope you all recover soon, and that 2016 is full of many wonderful travels full of joy and good health!
Cheers, Alison
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The first to go down (my son, on the late night international flight, no less – ugh) is already rebounding, so we are all hoping for a 24-hour limit on this misery. Silver lining: I am catching up on the blog posts I missed while traveling! Very best of wishes for an exciting and wonderful 2016 to you and Don!
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Oh now Lexi! Getting sick is terrible! Did you take any Cipro? I am notorious for getting stomach junk on trips so I always carry it with me and immediately start it at the first run to the toilet. I have been sick almost every trip to a third world country (Bolivia, Tanzania, Honduras, Costa Rica—one month! And India to name a few. Oddly enough I did not get sick in Haiti. Rest up and hope you all are well soo ! What an amazing year you’ve had and I’m so glad I met you online with your fantastic blog!
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It is a bummer! But it seems to be fleeting, and we are pretty sure it was food-related because we all got sick within hours of each other. The first to get it last night is already feeling better. The rest of us are at various points on that arc! I rarely take Cipro with me as I rarely (knock wood!) get sick. And we are also pretty brazen about drinking tap water and eating street food so we probably deserve it! I feel the same about meeting you here on WordPress and look forward to all of your adventures in the coming year!
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That is good to hear Lexi! I take all the precautions and don’t even eat salad but I still usually get sick. I think after getting sick for so long in Costa Rica I just wore my stomach out. Oh well. 😌happy happy new year my friend!
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Getting sick while traveling surely is something we all wish to avoid. But some people say it’s inevitable and part of the experience. However the world is just too beautiful to miss, isn’t it? 🙂 Get well soon, Lexi, and may 2016 be filled with great travels and health to you all.
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Unfortunately, it is inevitable on occasion but yes, all five of us agreed that it was still a fantastic trip! I rarely get sick when traveling; if I do, it is almost always right when I get home. I think my body sometimes crashes at the end of a high-energy trip, but this time it was clearly something else since all five of us got nailed within hours of each other. I send the same wishes for an exciting 2016 to you – how will you ever surpass your epic trip with James?!
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Oh no! Interesting way to start the new year, but I bet you wouldn’t trade it for sitting at home watching the ball and eating pizza. May 2016 be filled with many new adventures, near and far.
p.s. Hey, I know that wall. It’s a mere 15 minute walk from my place. I’ll have to see if your son’s grafitti is still there next time I pass.
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Nope, I wouldn’t trade a day of sickness for the days I had in Colombia! It was a fun and varied trip – high-altitude urban energy and Caribbean languor all in one week. Whatever we ate/drank/breathed to make us sick, it was worth it! (I might not be saying that if it weren’t so short-lived.)
Let me know about the wall! I highly doubt it’s still visible, but it was a kick to see it there for a New York minute. Wishing you good times at home and away in 2016, too!
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Ah, food poisoning! My best travel mate (unfortunately). Happy New Year, hope it’ll be good and with plenty of travel!
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Good wishes for an adventurous 2016 for you also! I’m actually pretty resistant to travel-related sickness, so this was a bit of a surprise. I guess I knew there would be no escaping when everyone got it …
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Get better soon! Happy New Years to you and yours. All the best!
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Thanks! I’m already on the mend. May 2016 bring you some good new adventures also!
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Get well soon! I love the Lennon Wall ad and wish I’d have thought of that – could be your site’s new banner?!
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Thank you! I’m not sure I would have thought of it myself, but I was pretty psyched when my son and his friends did that and captured it for me. I did think about making it the banner, but I can’t bring myself to get rid of my beloved Everest photo! Happy 2016 to you!
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Colombia! Looking forward to those posts! Get well soon and have a happy new year 2016!
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Same to you! Colombia was awesome – hoping to get at least a couple of good posts written!
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I hope everyone feels better soon.
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Hoping to be well and fully recovered by tomorrow – fingers crossed! Happy 2016 to you!
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Oh no…food poisoning is the worst, especially when traveling! Can’t wait to read your Colombia posts though…it’s in our top 5 of favourite countries to visit. 🙂
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After quick rebounds, we all seem to be fading again, but it is giving me an excuse to cull photos and start writing about the more positive aspects of the trip, of which there were many! It really is a great destination – so much more varied than one would think for such a small country. Happy New Year to you three!
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Well I wish I’d come here first before responding to your lovely comment on my blog. Then I would have known that Team Klein was down for the count this New Years Eve. The good news is that you had an amazing year (although it must have been a bit nippy on the Russia/Estonia/Finland tour in January, albeit beautiful). I LOVE the shout out from son A and friends on the Lennon Wall. Jealous! Want one. And the sunset photo is a gorgeous way to bid adieu to 2015 even if you felt like a piece of crap. Look forward to the Bogota posts soon
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I wish I could send you every one of my street art photos because there are so many good ones (thanks to the actual street art, not my photography skills!). I’m trying to structure a post just on that fantastic tour (led by one of the artists), but it’s so hard to select what to show from such a collection! Hoping to be fully recovered and more energetic mentally and physically this weekend. 🙂
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I feel your pain (re: constructing a post when you’ve got so much great art to share). Perhaps you should do multiple posts. I don’t know if you follow https://lignumdraco.wordpress.com/ but he does multiple posts when he covers events like ‘Sculptures By The Sea’ and ‘Vivid Sydney’ and still leaves me wanting more. And if you don’t want to do that, you can send me every one of your street art photos cause I would love them.
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Sure you’re recovered by now Lex! Sounds like you had a great year my friend, here’s to your next adventure!! Love the blog on the wall😊😊
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Thanks, Tina! It’s also been a great year of viewing your beautiful photos!
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Impressed (and a little envious) of all your travels!
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I’m impressed (and a little envious) of all the books you read this past year! I read a ton, but you are a book beast! (I mean that in the most positive of ways 🙂 )
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Oups, what a way to end the year! I trust you are all up and running by now, and already thinking about your next adventures .. Wishing you a very healthy, sparkly and funny year, with many beautiful travels 🙂
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Thanks! I’m fully recovered now – luckily, because I had to fly out to help care for my mom who had knee surgery today. Always an adventure! And I’m off to Nicaragua at the end of the month for a short solo trip! Wishing you new and fun adventures with your family in he new year!
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Thanks a lot ! Hope your Mum’s surgery went all fine.
Have a beautiful trip and looking forward to the upcoming posts …
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Great idea of the wall in Prague!
Never good to get sick while traveling….
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It was so sweet of my son to think of me and my blog when he was there! I’m sure my 15 minutes of fame are long gone!
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What a sweet gesture. But it might be really gone by now.
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