I left for London on February 10, which marks the first day I became ill abroad.
This was not your sore throat or runny nose situation, unfortunately it was a pizza I had for dinner in Rome is now on the floor of the tube situation.
Being sick abroad can lead to homesickness as well, but I survived. Here is how…
1. Take care of yourself
I was obviously very sick after I arrived in my hostel. I felt terrible (I will spare details). I should have gotten myself water and slept with a bag near my bed, but I thought I would wake up and feel good as new. That was not the case.
2. Surround yourself with good people
I was lucky enough to already be travelling with one of my best friends, and thankfully my squad took me and my other friend who was sick to two different hospitals at around five in the morning.
3. Take a break
I was in LONDON! I wanted to see everything, so laying in bed for a whole day was not fun but extremely necessary. The doctor told us to just eat simple foods and sip water or Gatorade, so there was not much else we could do.
4. Think positively
The next two days we went hardcore to see everything that we missed, since we lost a day. I walked over 10 miles each day. It was difficult since I was still recovering but I distracted myself with all the new sights. I could have thought how my stomach was feeling kinda weird, but I ignored it and moved along.
5. Talk to your Mom or loved ones (or both)
This one helped a ton! I talked to my boyfriend and my mom and they helped me feel a lot better emotionally. When you are sick and in a different continent alone, you will miss the people that usually take care of you. My boyfriend talked to me about things that might make me feel better, like how his mom would give him toast and honey. And my mom told me about the time when she was sick in London, which made me feel less alone.
This experience was definitely not my favorite, but who can say they have been to two hospitals in London?
We are close to ending our trip in Florence and Siena, which has been beautiful.
There are photos on my Instagram. If you want to follow my Instagram for my photojournalism class it is @kennedyinurbino Anyway, my classes have officially begun, so I will be studying away!
Ciao!