This morning my husband and I will board a plane for Haiti. This isn't exactly a miser thing to do -- the trip will run us over $2000 -- that counts air fare, medical visits, and the rest. We've packed two large suitcases full of books, clothes, and meds that we'll just leave at the mission/orphanage we're staying at. We also have two smaller bags with summer clothes for ourselves.
At our med visit, we got Hepatitis A vaccines, anti-malarial medicine, orders to put on bug spray, plus recommendations for stomach problems, not to mention repeated stern warnings about drinking the water. It's not easy to buy bug spray in December in Pennsylvania. I'm thankful to a friend who loaned me some of hers.
I remember reading in the Tightwad Gazette a letter about how traveling to developing countries can save money long term by helping people live more simply when they return to the US. I loved that idea, but I'm pretty sure this short trip won't have the same impact on us that a year abroad had on the letter writer. I'm pretty sure this will just be expensive for us.
At any rate, I'm already grateful for clean water (right out of the tap), internet access, and a relative dearth of mosquito-born diseases. And of course gratitude is a gift, maybe even one that's worth something.
We'll be out of contact until Wednesday. No blogging for a while.
At our med visit, we got Hepatitis A vaccines, anti-malarial medicine, orders to put on bug spray, plus recommendations for stomach problems, not to mention repeated stern warnings about drinking the water. It's not easy to buy bug spray in December in Pennsylvania. I'm thankful to a friend who loaned me some of hers.
I remember reading in the Tightwad Gazette a letter about how traveling to developing countries can save money long term by helping people live more simply when they return to the US. I loved that idea, but I'm pretty sure this short trip won't have the same impact on us that a year abroad had on the letter writer. I'm pretty sure this will just be expensive for us.
At any rate, I'm already grateful for clean water (right out of the tap), internet access, and a relative dearth of mosquito-born diseases. And of course gratitude is a gift, maybe even one that's worth something.
We'll be out of contact until Wednesday. No blogging for a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment