SIDE EFFECT: Vivid Dreams...

So, with a travel destination of Kenya, and many other places throughout the world, we need to get a full dose of travel vaccinations. These are always fun :) and probably one of the first exciting things that happens on a Voluntourism trip. You see, as I promote these trips that is often a question that pops up early...DO WE NEED SHOTS?

YES, you need shots! Some are tough, some don't care, and than there are those that totally rethink the trip because they hate needles so much. I love reading the facial expressions of people.

So along with the Typhoid, Hep A & B, and the infamous yellow fever...we also need to get a few perscriptions as well. Cipro, for the ultimate stoppage of the ravishing travelers diarhea (DO NOT TAKE UNLESS YOU ARE SURE AN IMMODIUM WILL NOT DO THE TRICK LOL)...and our choice of preventive Malaria medications.

So, whether it be Malarone, Doxy..., or Mefloquin. Often these preventative treatments do the trick. But, the conversation among travelers, family members, and travel physicians are often interesting...

As you may or may not know, one of the "side effects" of Mefloquin is "VIVID DREAMS". Or so many of us have been told by our travel medicine specialists. For some people that is an instant turn off...and for others an instant SELL!

So today, I would like to take a second and talk about the VIVID DREAMS that go along with Voluntourism and life.

On the first night of taking our Mefloquin just this past Wednesday my wife (this is her first time on Mef previously she took Mal because she was afraid of the dreams...but that flipped her stomach and those of you familiar with squatters toilets know how inconvenient a flipped stomach can be! Shh, don't tell Jodie I wrote that...she doesn't read this :) anyways...she had some pretty wacked out dreams and tossed and turned all night. In the past I too have had very VIVID DREAMS on Mef and kinda enjoyed it...

So, I was talking to another traveler that is going and is taking her Mef a day after us (Thursday). She asked if there were any weird dreams...and of course I told her...Jodie had a bunch of very VIVID and crazy DREAMS! So, while I havn't heard yet, my guess is all day she was thinking about the potential for her dreams last night...we shall see.

The point is, I think people when they choose Voluntourism, they too have VIVID DREAMS. Dreams of traveling the world, meeting new people, having new experiences, and returning to a life with a different perspective on things. For most, these dreams don't last; the "camp" experience tends to end a few weeks after you return home. While many would say, "that is too bad that view and experience ends"; I would challenge that it is worth the time and the money to have the experience even if the "high" ends after you return...especially when compared to not taking the experience at all!

Don't be afraid of VIVID DREAMS! Run to them, embrace them, and allow those experiences to positively impact the rest of your life.

Phill