Haiti Prep

The company I work for supports a charity based in Neply, Haiti, called myLifeSpeaks. A few months ago, a team of 5 was picked to go and witness our dollars at work first hand…

As always, things get real a week or so before the trip. We were asked to bring a few things with us, things we take for granted. Batteries, peanut butter, Advil and so forth, things we can drive to the store and pick up on moment’s notice.

Packing up our stuff at the office

Since I will be visiting three at risk areas (Haiti, Cambodia and Chiang Mai), I needed to get vaccinated. I went to passport health, they printed out a thick book of risks associated with travel to these countries. The vaccine girl thought she hit the vaccine lottery when she saw Haiti and Cambodia, on the list to get was Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Malaria pills and incidental diarrhea pills, the list of shit I turned down was 3x as long. While the $600 sticker shock stung me, the thought that was landing was how fortunate we are to not have the risk of catching Hep A from  a street hot dog vendor (although the diarrhea pills might come into play).

Pills, sprays from bugs, lotions

While obvious, I know, this trip will change my life. I already feel like a fool when I complained about my fake mustache falling off when I wear my Halloween costume, or my uber drivers being annoying, my food taking long, weak drinks at the bar or any other first world annoyance.

I think I have to not only be grateful hitting the gene lottery and living in a developed world, but that I have the means to break out of this bubble and see the world for the way it really is…