Sickness on the Road: A Hobbit's Tale

We can all agree being sick is not fun. It is especially not fun with you are traveling! Hannah got sick for a few days when we were in Rotorua, New Zealand and was unable to leave the house and explore the city. It was a simple cold and wasn't the end of the world, but it made us anxious because we were "missing out" on seeing things in Rotorua. Look at these awesome redwoods! We desperately wanted to spend more time exploring them.

Luckily this sickness also made us take a step back and re-evaluate our priorities. Yes, traveling is about seeing new things, meeting new people. and enjoying life, but there comes a time on each trip where you just need to relax, take care of yourself, and chill. Hannah just needed to get sick for us to realize this was our time to chill. In the end we were grateful to take a day off to sit in bed and watch movies all day.

There were a few things that we brought with that helped, but a few things that we didn't that were very needed. Tissue for instance...  

Here is a list of things we brought with from the states:

1. Nasal Decongestant. Thank the lord Hannah thought to bring this with on our trip. Hannah got sick on a Sunday and the pharmacy was closed so if we didn't have it with us her sickness might have lasted longer. This was a very simple and small thing to bring with to ensure a short sickness.

Here is a list of things we bought while on the road:

1. Tissue. Only we were cheap and got the less expensive tissue. Big mistake. Splurge on the expensive silky soft tissue when you are sick! Hannah needed to rub vaseline on her raw nose for days afterwards.

2. Cough drops/lollies/throat lozenges. We actually used these a few times on our trip after we bought them. (It may have been because they just tasted really good and we "needed" one because we felt our throat getting sore...please).

3. Vicks VapoRub. This nasal opener was great for Hannahs congestion, but was also great for long flights and times you just need a little deep breathing. Pro tip: use this to massage sore muscles after a long day hiking or seeing the city.

So, if you have room in your backpack bring some NICE tissues, and some nasal decongestant. Almost everything else you need to battle a common cold can be purchased on the road.