Auditor Generals Report Part 2

A few weeks/months ago, I posted a report about my current financial standings.  At that time, I was sitting at just under $20,000 after taking out the money I’d be spending on flights.  Since then there have been a few changes, most of which have been positive changes.

Coming soon . . .

My apologies for the extreme lack of posts lately. It’s been a whirlwind last couple weeks with getting things together. Work has been getting me pretty exhausted, and I’ve been hanging out with friends as much as I can.  Add that to having dance classes a few nights a week, and taking a spanish class, and I’m one very busy boy.

Over the next little while I will be ramping up my posts towards my final night in Martensville, 25 days from now. It’s . . . surreal. But I’m starting to get really excited. Clothing is being purchased, and I have a reporter from the local newspaper coming over tomorrow for a little interview with me.

Future posts will include:

• One more Auditor General’s Report right before my departure date
• My two Christmas’ with the family
• Why Russia, Mongolia, and China are cut off.
• Final tentative route
• Going Away Party shenanigans
• And a few more . . .

The countdown is on!!!!!!

Auditor General’s Report – Sept. 2010

Sadly, when I called up the Auditor General’s office and asked Sheila Fraser to do a guest post on the state of where my finances were, she politely declined. Something to do with having her hands full with the Harper government, stimulus packages, “Canada Economic Action Plan” sign budgets, and the like.

Oh well.

What two double rye and coke’s get you . . .

Right this very moment I am sitting on the balcony of my condo, finishing off the last of my second double rye and coke(and contemplating a third) and really just enjoying the utter calm and peace that is surrounding me. The last few weeks have probably been the most trying, most emotionally taxing, and most heartwrenching of my life. I really won’t get into massive details about it all as it’s not really travel related, but I will say that it all basically boils down to a guy, unrequited love, and the sickening realization that the small “r” relationship you shared with him for the past year(one year exactly on Tuesday)  is over.

To Plan or Not to Plan

Comment from Brook- don't get too detailed in planning! It will only RESTRICT you in the long run.

Which begs the question . . . just how much is too much planning?

Immunization Series - Polio, Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis

While the weather in Saskatoon suggests that March has come in like a lamb(rather than a lion), in my case, it came in like a bee.

Two bees actually. Those evil little black and yellow demons that are forever hell bent to chase me up and down the river path while my friends stop and laugh at me. Serious, apiphobia is not fun!!! This time though, the bees were stealthy, coming in needle shaped form. >

That’s right. You guessed it. It was vaccination day once again.

Oh joy.

First up: Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis.

The Bare Facts:

• What is it?
  • Tetanus: AKA “Lock Jaw.” A bacteria that produces a toxin that can cause painful tightening of the muscles.
  • Diphtheria: Another bacteria that produces a toxin which can damage the inner lining of the nose and throat making breathing difficult.
  • Pertussis: AKA “Whooping Cough.” Another disease spread by bacteria that can cause severe coughing spells in infants.
• Cost
  • Cdn$80
• How long will the protection last?
  • Tetanus:  10 years, after which boosters should be received.
  • Diphtheria: Currently Unknown
  • Pertussis: Lifetime

I have some rather unfond memories of the last time I received the TdP shot. Back in elementary school, it was this vaccination that gave me my first introduction to the joys of fainting. Intra-muscular vaccinations are not my friend.

Well, no vaccinations are my friend but I digress. . .

Once again, the nurse was kind enough to set up the mat and pillow for me to lay on while they injected me with the vaccine. I at least had my camera in hand and ready. The shot was quick and actually relatively painless, though I did get pretty lightheaded. Thank goodness I was laying down.

Next up: Polio

The Bare Facts:

• What is it?
  • An extremely infectious disease that attacks the nerve cells in the spinal cord that controls muscles. This in turn causes those muscles to become weak and paralyzed. The damage is permanent.
• Cost
  • Cdn$80
• How long will the protection last?
  • Currently, as babies, we receive the vaccine in a series of five small spoonfuls. This protection can last up to ten years. As adults, if one is going to a polio infected region, an adult vaccination is recommended. This shot lasts for a lifetime though.

Polio is a pretty personal one for me as my grandma suffered from Polio as a young child. She was lucky in that it only affected her one foot and her parents were diligent enough that while she was suffering through the worst part, their constant massaging of her foot reduced the amount of damage the disease could have caused. As a result of her having suffered from polio she is completely immune now.

And contrary to what the nurse had told me, I found this one hurt more than the TdP shot, even though this one was injected into the fatty tissue of the underarm(see above picture). Same amount of vaccine, equivalent time in the skin but I swear I could feel it for a good ten or twenty seconds. Almost like a thin sliver that you couldn’t pull out.

Right now, as I write this, they don’t hurt too bad. Even so, I opted to skip my dance class for the evening so as not to overexert my arms. But with these shots down, that only leaves at least two more injections and one oral vaccine. That doesn’t include the three rabies vaccines I will get if I can get into the study group at the university here.

Here’s hoping.

Just no high fives just yet. Low fives are fine though.

Realism Rears it's Head

November 28. I think I've officially nailed the date I will be leaving. And right now, all it leaves me with is a sense of dread.

Why? I'm not quite sure. Could be a multitude of things. Could be the results of doing my income taxes. Could be looking at the actual prices for the flights. Could even be the bureaucracy I've had to deal with already with a couple countries.

Immunization Series - Yellow Fever

Look at your itinerary. Are you going to central South America at all? Visiting Bolivia, the Amazon Rainforest, Columbia?  If so,  you will need to get a Yellow Fever vaccination. Many countries, including many in Africa, China, and India, require proof of vaccination if you come from regions that have yellow fever present. Even still, some countries in Africa require proof of vaccination regardless of where you are coming from. 

Yellow Fever, like West Nile and Malaria, is spread primarily through the bite of a mosquito. For most people that contract the virus, they will experience nothing beyond a fever, nausea, headache, chills, aches, and vomiting. Of these people though, 15% will go into a second stage which can prove fatal in one of five cases.

Average Prices:

1. Saskatoon, Canada. One Shot = C$140
2. Melbourne, Australia. One Shot = A$76.50
3. London, England. One Shot = £53
4. United States. One Shot = avg A$62

The vaccine itself is injected into the fatty layer beneath the skin and, from experience, doesn’t hurt. At least not as much as the H1N1 vaccine.

Immunization Series

When you plan a trip around the world, one of the most important things you need to settle is your travel shots. This is especially important considering some countries, including China and Brazil, will not let you enter without proof of specific vaccinations. 

But what vaccines are needed?

When I went to the International Travel Clinic for the first round of shots, I spent nearly two hours with the nurse going over my itinerary and every shot that I should get or consider getting. 

Every trip is different. If your trip does not take you to Asia at all, you will not need to consider Japanese Encephalitis. Likewise, if you opt to backpack in Western continents like Europe and Australia, the need to get malaria pills are greatly reduced, if not eliminated altogether. So any advice I mention, take with a grain of salt.

Over the next little while, I will be posting information on the various shot that I am getting or considering getting. Hopefully, this information will help those that are planning their own big adventure.

The Vaccines:

• Yellow Fever
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
• Polio
• Hep A
• Typhoid
• Rabies
• Malaria
• Cholera

Finalizing the Home Front

One of the major pre-trip considerations I must face is with what to do regarding the bills and payments I have amassed.

Mommy Wow! I’m a big boy now!

Seeing my trip account in the bank inch ever closer to the $20 thousand dollar mark is amazing to see, but it wasn’t until today that the reality has set in.

I’m actually doing this.

“How can you afford this?!”

That question is probably the most common one I have been asked, especially when people find out that I am also paying for university tuition as well(oh, and rent and a car). The answer is simple; I sacrificed my social life to an extent.

The Back Story

This entire journey, this trip I am going to be taking, really began with a realization over my financial situation. I was working nearly full time and attempting to go to university at the same time. In April of 2007, it became clear to me that I was no longer mentally or financially capable to keep going to school. The decision to take a break from finishing my degree wasn’t a really hard one when it became clear that I wouldn’t be able to afford to pay off my current tuition for months.