Shots Shots and more shots!

Yellow Fever, Polio, Hepatitus A & B, Japanese Encephalitis (how do you say that?), Typhoid, Malaria, Meningogcoccal Meningitis, Rabies...and don't forget the routine one's too...influenza, measles, pheumococcal, tetenus & diperthia, varicella...

The names alone are enough to make your head spin! And the list goes on and on and on . . . . .

But before you are travel bound to other countries you will need to get your immunization shots. And it might take a year just to figure out what shots are required, where to get them, and how the heck you'll afford to pay for them all! It's a hefty expense (about $800-$1,200 for the above mentioned), but not one to neglect.

Fortunately for most cities in the U.S. there is a place called Passport Health (http://www.passporthealthusa.com/) to help you out. For $50 bucks, you can sit down with a registered nurse knowledgable of all the ins and outs to staying healthy when you travel abroad: where to get reliable water filters and mosquito nets, what international hospitals will accept your insurance, how to avoid getting sick while eating all those new exotic foods.
And the nurses will offer endless travel tips too. For example, if you don't want to spend half of your trip on the toilet, don't order drinks with ice and stick with bottled water for everything....even brushing your teeth.

Passport Health is a place to learn about the health standards for any country you plan to visit, from big cities to the country side. You can receive up to date
information on any recent outbreaks, traveler's insurance, and get all of your required immunization shots right there on the spot. Some of these shots are a 2 or 3 part series spread out over as long as 6 months, so it's best to get an early start.

The costs and the hassle of getting your shots may be a burden at first, but it certainly beats the alternative! If you take the leap and travel to another country, bring with you the piece of mind to stay alive and well.

CouchSurfing.com ? ~~food for thought as we travel~~

from www.couchsurfing.com,

"CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding."

As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!

We'd love to hear your thoughts!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world....

...where would you go?

Discovering Deaf Worlds kickoff June 2007!

We are PUMPED!

DDW is on the way. Thank you all for your support right from the start. Let's keep the momentum alive!

Got any travel tips for our around the world adventure?

Have a connection for us to contact in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, Thailand, India, Nepal, Kenya?