Pre-Departure Jitters

By Kevin Rutherford

Having been abroad before, I kind of knew what to expect when going abroad. However, nothing prepared me for the whirlwind of doing so in Asia. While it was easy to go out and not want to take precautions, I considered it wise to get some basic vaccinations. At the same time, coming so soon after I had just returned home for the semester, it really hit that I was going from class to class, without a break in between.

When it comes to vaccinations, get them early, but also shop around. Being from Massachusetts, the idea of having health insurance was a bit comical in Arizona, as I could not be seen by anyone out here. Thus, I started to see doctors back home in order to get prepared for the trip. One such thing was for a vaccination for Hepatitis A. While I was suggested a local travel clinic, I ended up finding it more convenient to call the local hospital and see what they could do. Unfortunately, they could do nothing, as they were booked into July, well after I left. Instead, I found out that my county provided free vaccinations, so I took advantage of this as quickly as possible, as I did not want to risk getting sick while abroad.

This brings up the point of traveler’s insurance. While I was insured for my trip, I was not insured for the rest of it. Being cheap, I decided to forgo this luxury. However, this is not necessarily recommendable, as you could easily find yourself with thousands of dollars of medical bills should something go wrong.

In the week before travelling, I noticed that I had this sense of impending foreboding that was approaching the date. Maybe it was because of the fact that I realized I was about to embark for a month, or it was mild homesickness, but it was certainly something I had never felt before. Fortunately, I was able to push this aside and keep my mind occupied on other things. As my girlfriend was from Hong Kong, I was able to meet her family a few days before I left for a combined graduation party, and this meant that I was able to get acclimated on what to expect there.