Sick While Traveling: An Unusual Way to Make a Trip Memorable

One of my many sick-as-a-dog selfies. Just trying to make the best of it.

​​It’s been a while since I posted, and here’s why: I nearly died in Montana.  No, it didn’t involve the usual suspects (bears, bison, climbing stairs) and yes, I’m being overly dramatic.  But, I did get super sick, and I never saw it coming.  In fact, I had an easy breezy flight into Billings, took the picture above, made my merry way to my rental car, reveled in the cooler temps, and then headed to MoAV, a hip little coffee shop tucked away downtown, before heading out to my first destination, a secluded ranch surrounded by miles of rolling hills, cattle, and fossils.

About an hour into my bliss, I felt my throat closing up.  What’s this?  I’d taken my daily Allegra, and I had a much-anticipated week of digging up dinosaur bones and travel conferencing on tap.  A sore throat was NOT in the plans.  Neither was the cold that fully punched me in the face that night.

I spent the next couple of nights sleeping in an RV (a very cold RV), and since I was about two hours away from the nearest drug store, I was stuck without any medicine of any kind.  When I eventually made it to my hotel in Billings, I bought a truckload of over-the-counter drugs and a bad raincoat and took full advantage of the overly-hearty breakfasts from Stella’s, the amazing restaurant attached to my hotel.  I also skipped events that I thought would drain my nearly null energy level or would put other people at the conference at risk of catching my cold.  This resulted in lots of sick, solo selfies, missing out on a group excursion up the Beartooth Highway, and the avoidance of all the craft breweries that call Billings home.

Needless to say, it was a brutal week, but what could I do?  Nothing.  So, I did my best to make the most of it.  And you know what?  I’ll never forget that trip.  Ever.  Sure, unearthing 200-million-year-old bones was impressive, but I’ll always remember sleeping under the entire contents of my suitcase in order to keep warm and not die just as much. 

This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten sick while traveling, and I’m sure it won’t be the last, but I’ve learned to expect the unexpected and roll with it. 
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How about you?  Have you ever had the joy of being super sick and far from home?  I’d love to hear about it!

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