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wisechildstrawberry · 4 years

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When Bryan and I were in the hospital the month of February last year, I kept everyone updated through Facebook because it was easier to do a mass post than update everyone individually. I also journaled because I knew I wanted to remember everything at some point. As a result, I had a hodge-podge of posts during that crazy month. Given my innate desire to constantly self-evaluate, I put it all together in a coherent timeline so I could review it.

Cystic Fibrosis sucks in so many ways. Bryan was lucky. He lived way beyond the normal life expectation out of sheer stubbornness. Our story still ended way too soon. I still am trying to figure out where my place is in all this and where I go from here. My hope with these blog posts is that it will help me sort through my feelings, that it will help me heal, and that it may help someone else. It’s long, and full of medical mumbo-jumbo, but there you have it.

The Facebook and journal posts are italicized. 💜

February 4, 2019

And just like that, our pre-transplant testing at Vanderbilt is canceled. 😞

We had to check into Baptist East which effectively canceled our plans to drive up to Vanderbilt to go through the process of getting put on the kidney transplant list. We had already gotten so close to being placed on the one here at Methodist that we could taste the freedom from dialysis.

February 5, 2019

We originally got these for our road trip to Vanderbilt (because see the first photo) and now that the road trip is no more, they turned into great hospital snacks. I can’t stay out of them. I may need an intervention…

One of the things I loved about this man was that he was on the same wavelength as me when it came to road trips. Rule #1 – When packing for a road trip, it’s an absolute necessity to bring enough snacks to feed an army. Rule #2 – They can’t be healthy. Rule #3 – You can’t have any leftovers by the time you get home.

February 6, 2019

Keep the prayers coming! We’re still here at our unconventional vacation home, drinking all the coffee, eating all the snacks, and watching way too much TV.

February 7, 2019

We’ve been in the hospital since Monday evening. I spend the nights with him and his days are filled with tests, pills, nurses, and pain. A nagging place on his leg that wasn’t responding to antibiotics landed us here. Once we were in a private ER room, they did an ultrasound and found the blood clot. It runs the entire length of his leg; similar to the one he had two years ago the day after his surprise 50th birthday party. When people ask how Bryan is doing, I’m tempted to ask, How much time do you have? They’ve been pumping him with blood thinner. They were pumping him with a couple of different antibiotics, but that has appeared to stop. They set him up on dialysis every night. It’s hard to tell which is worse, the pain from the dialysis sucking the fluid off of him or the pain from the mysterious sore on his leg. He has a mid-line pic and an IV in the same arm and his arm has swollen up in such a way that would make Popeye proud. They ran an ultrasound on it and thankfully, it came back negative for blood clots. The food is okay. His appetite is off and he has so much going on that it’s hard to pinpoint what’s knocking it out of whack. He’s taking a pain pill to alleviate some of the pain. The doctors come in late in the evenings to check in. A dermatologist came in last night to pick samples off of both of his legs to send to pathology to be biopsied. More pain. And stitches. So now we wait. We’re waiting for the biopsy results to come back so we know how to move forward. We’re waiting for the blood clot to go down. This is just another hurdle in the CF life. We’re going to jump it and keep moving forward. Keep the prayers coming, keep the visits coming, and keep the texts and calls coming. They’re good for Bryan and to be honest, they’re good for me as well.

The dermatologist was such a sweet man and very no-nonsense. He came in and did his thing, barely batting an eye while making pleasant conversation with us.

February 8, 2019

I’m probably the only person in the world who has to watch a video on how to use this thing. After trying to use it with the cap on. 🙄😂

The beginning of hospital brain.

I have the utmost respect for nurses, but I’m about five seconds away from giving our nurse whatfor. We’ve had great nurses all week, then I get up here to the hospital room and barely get sat down before she comes in and proceeds to inform us that Bryan needs to eat and she’s not waiting an hour and we need to make this happen. Girl. Don’t. Even.

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That’s one of the problems with the shift changes. Nurses come in who don’t know what’s going on and there’s a few who think bullying through is how to get people to do the things they need them to do. There’s no telling what this poor nurse thought of us.

February 9, 2019

The nurse from hell apparently doesn’t work weekends. I snuck down to the cafe to get the biggest coffee imaginable and breakfast. They have a pretty decent breakfast down here. They had Bryan do five cycles of dialysis yesterday and again last night so he’s been on dialysis for I guess about 16 hours. His potassium (or is it the phosphorus) has been high-about 7 when it’s supposed to be between 3.5 and 5. His blood sugar has been wonky which is pretty typical. His blood pressure has been high which is pretty typical with the dialysis and the blood clot. We didn’t hear anything about the results of the skin biopsy. I don’t know if the doctors come through on the weekends or not. For now, I’m taking my now halfway caffeinated self back up to the room.

The Yellow Sock Club. I couldn’t pack my pajamas without including these awesome things. 😎

Anyone who has had a transplant or has a chronic illness that requires multiple hospital stays belongs to the Yellow Sock Club. It’s not a very fancy club, but you do get pairs of awesome yellow socks and while they don’t allow you to slide across the floor Tom Cruise/Risky Business style, they do keep you from falling on your ass on slick floors. So there’s that.

February 10, 2019

Dealing with the doctors surrounding Cystic Fibrosis and all the issues stemming from it is like dealing with a baseball lineup-everyone plays but comes up to bat at different times. Up to bat now is the nephrologist who is currently on vacation in Iceland.

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There are a few advantages to being in the hospital for a week. I finally figured out how to operate the motion-detected ice machine and can dispense water and ice like a pro without a single drop spilled. I figured out the good food in the cafeteria is served at lunch and if you wait long enough in the evenings, you get free food. Contraband is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and alcohol. They’re considered evil, but caffeine is thrown around like an Oprah freebie. I’ve been a little grouchy and Bryan’s been a little grouchy. Some nights I sleep better and some nights he sleeps better. Sometimes I’m talkative and he just wants to sleep. Sometimes he’s talkative and I’m too tired to put a sentence together. I rub his feet and give him professionally dispensed ice and he gives me sweet kisses and that cute little smile. I’m learning that when someone with a chronic illness is hospitalized, you don’t come out cured. You come out with a game plan for how to move forward and you hold on to the optimism that you are in control of the quality of your life. We are holding on to that optimism because you only get one life and you get to choose how to live it. We are choosing to live life because God blesses each one of us with one life and the freedom to live it how we see fit. Keep the prayers coming!

February 13, 2019

Watching the sun rise on Day 9 of our hospital stay with my styrofoam cup of pretty decent coffee. We have a diagnosis that I will gladly share via message, but we also have a plan. We’re switching from peritoneal dialysis to a combination program of hemodialysis and an IV of sodium thiosulfate. His bloodwork came back within the range we needed to have the perma-cath put in this morning sometime. We asked the nurse when they would know the time of the procedure and he responded, “We typically find out when we get the call from downstairs saying, we’re sending the transport team up now.” Another thing I learned in the hospital. There is no planning your day. Ever.

February 14, 2019

Attempt #1 at a perma-cath was a failure because he’s had so many port catheters put in over the years that they can’t get one in his chest. Attempt #2 was supposed to happen earlier this morning, but his nephrologist wanted him to do one more cycle of peritoneal dialysis. Bryan wanted to refuse it because he didn’t want to miss the window for surgery. The result? He missed his window for the surgery and now we’re waiting for them to find time to fit him in. They just didn’t listen. He didn’t have much dinner, no breakfast, no lunch, and we’re hoping his blood sugar holds steady long enough to do this. We’re also hoping it happens quickly because hemodialysis takes 3-4 hours and doing THAT late at night won’t exactly be thrilling. Bryan is getting ready to pinch somebody’s head off after this morning. I’m about ready to pinch somebody’s head off. There’s a difference between refusing treatment because we’re being ornery and refusing treatment because we’re trying to keep things on schedule. Bryan’s spent his entire life dealing with hospitals so he knows a bit how things work when too many people are involved. This is one of those days where there’s just too many roosters in the hen house.

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The perma-cath is in and he’s doing just fine. He’s downstairs doing his first round of hemodialysis and sodium thiosulfate which left me time to wander down to the cafeteria to see what’s for supper. My next hospital discovery: they do it up big for Valentine’s Day:

February 15, 2019

So this morning has already been eventful. We discovered what the fire alarm sounds like (apparently some jackwagon on the 4th floor thought it was a great idea to smoke in the bathroom). We also watched in disbelief as the breakfast cart glided right past our room (think of how you felt as a kid when you just missed the ice cream truck) without stopping. Bryan was like, oh hell no! The desk secretary was sweet enough to grab a plate for him while I was downstairs grabbing him some food as well so Bryan got double breakfast today. We haven’t heard when we’ll get to leave, but we’re hoping soon.

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Well, shoot. We’re stuck in here another night. That’ll be 13 nights in the hospital. Boo!

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When the fire alarm goes off (again), what do we do? Drink our hot chocolate, watch our basketball game, calmly eat our chicken, and snooze. As our nurse told us, what else are we going to do? 😂

I originally had a video showing this. You can plainly hear the fire alarm going off while we’re all calmly doing our thing. I didn’t think it was probably a good idea to show it since it was in a hospital. I figured there’s a rule out there somewhere forbidding that.

February 16, 2019

Hemodialysis was scheduled for 9. Dude shows up at 7:30. The nurses are scrambling, trying to get his mountainous pile of morning meds together (it’s always amusing to watch them when they realize just how many there are 😂 ), figure out how they’re going to get breakfast to him, and navigate around who is now in the room: two nurses, the dialysis dude, the PCA, a doctor from the cardiovascular group, and the bed which is now cattywampus. It’s a circus in here and I haven’t even had my coffee yet.

Chaos Bei Dunder Mifflin GIF from Chaos GIFs

February 17, 2019

One side effect of the hemodialysis is violent nausea. I think all the food he ate yesterday, along with whatever meds that didn’t absorb, are now in blue bags in the garbage. We’re trying to manage pain and figure out how to minimize the nausea. As of right now, we don’t have a discharge date. The board says February 19th which right now would be an awesome birthday present, but we’ll see. The doctors want to get his blood levels regulated, get his swelling down, and get insurance to approve the outpatient sodium thiosulfate IV (a daily dose is almost four months of my salary 😮). Please keep the prayers coming.

February 18, 2019

I didn’t post a Facebook status here, but I did journal:

Bryan dreams about sports. Mainly soccer. He organizes the teams in his mind and coaches the players, gesturing with his hands. Then, he wakes up and glances over at me sheepishly to see if I’m watching. He smiles that silly little smile of his. “I was dreaming.” Hospitals are shitty places to make final memories. I want us to be able to go sit in a park, on a blanket, making organic conversation that doesn’t involve what pills are working and which ones aren’t; where we can smell the lovely outdoorsy smell of trees, grass, and blanket, not the smell of the things inside him that are slowly killing him. I want to crawl up in the hospital bed with him and snuggle. Just the simple act of snuggling washes away so many cares. He finally researched calciphylaxis thoroughly enough to know that he may not make it out of this alive. We’ve been sitting here talking a little bit. While we were watching a basketball game, he gets out his phone and looks a few things up. A few minutes later, he declares, “I bet I have peritonitis.” The cloudy dialysis, the distended belly, the feeling of always being full, the nausea, the slight fever. It makes total sense. The best part? It’s firing him up. Especially after I got a little miffed myself and made the comment that we have gone an entire year and successfully avoided peritonitis only to contract it in the hospital when they did the peritoneal dialysis themselves.

February 19, 2019

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes. Once we break out of the hospital, I foresee a Muddy’s cupcake in my future to celebrate. We’re on Day 16 now (I had to go back and count the days). Bryan’s been about the same. The doctors are figuring out the whole fluid retention/blood thinner issues/general pukiness thing. We were hoping to get out of here today which would’ve been an AWESOME birthday, but that’s okay. He’s where he needs to be while they get things figured out. The nurses who showed up today are the same ones we had towards the beginning of this ordeal which made me deliriously happy. I would’ve hugged them, but that would have been weird.

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February 20, 2019

Bryan now refers to the pain pill as “the one that f**ks up your dreams”.

I have to share my journal post that shows what happened after Bryan made that statement:

Bryan woke up this morning and asked me to check his bag for his car keys. When I said, sure, why? he said he was afraid he had dropped them on the ground after he got out of his car last night. I said, Honey, you didn’t drive last night. You’ve been in the hospital. He responded back saying he had the most vivid dream last night, he dreamed he had gone to Target and left his car and the nurses took it and drove away in it. He still wanted me to check his bag for his car key.

February 21, 2019

So we had a bit of a room change. We’re in ICU. His blood pressure dropped and oxygen levels dropped and they’re trying to figure out what’s going on. On the agenda tomorrow is a broncoscopy and a few other things. For now, he’s stable. I lost my couch so my bed is two chairs pushed together. At least the TV is bigger. Keep the prayers coming, please. We’re going to have an active couple of days.

Would anyone happen to have a lightweight small camping cot I could borrow for the next night or two? ICU doesn’t have anything.

Today was bronchoscopy day. Those of you who know Bryan well know that he has bucked at the prospect of a bronchoscopy for years. He caved this time. They did it and he spent the day resting. He was so lethargic. About 5 this evening, he was sleeping, would quit breathing, and we would have to wake him up and remind him, hey dude, breathing’s kind of important around here. It was similar to sleep apnea. They fitted him with a ventilator. They tried doing the one that doesn’t go down the throat, but the tube that’s pulling the stomach bile out wouldn’t allow for a tight fit so we went with the regular ventilator. He’s sedated and resting comfortably. They’ll check in tomorrow and test him to see if he can breathe on his own. For now, I feel better knowing he’s breathing, knowing that it’s temporary (the ventilator, not the breathing. Lol), and knowing that he’s getting enough rest in order to gear up for the next battle round. Y’all, I cannot express my gratitude and love enough. All the prayers, the calls, the texts, the visits, the little favors, have made this whole process bearable. Keep up the prayers and we’re facing tomorrow with our game face!

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The next couple of days after my birthday were a bit scary. I didn’t journal the process of what initially landed us in the ICU because to be honest, it scared the hell out of me. It was a blur of his numbers dropping, of nurses in and out, of them putting an NG tube in. The first girl couldn’t get it in. They grabbed another girl to do it who was a total angel (they actually all were angels) so we had nurses handing him things, nurses putting things in him, and there I am in the middle of it all with Bryan’s puke bag and providing the NG nurse ninja with an extra set of hands. We finally got the tube in him and got him over to ICU. We never left the ICT Here’s a bit of my journal entry for the 21st:

Today they bathed him. He’s been in and out of consciousness. [Our associate rector] came by this morning while [his mother] and [his brother] and I were in the conference room while they bathed him. We went back in and [our associate rector] anointed him and prayed over him. We went down to eat while they did the bronchoscopy. [His brother] was impressed with the updated cafeteria. When we came back up, they had finished and he was resting. I went home to shower and to pick up my glasses. When I got back, he was still in and out, but mostly out. I settled into my chair. Suddenly, I noticed his oxygen level dropping. It was dropping pretty quickly, so I grabbed a nurse. She ran in, saw the numbers dropping, hollered for a crash cart, and tried to wake him up. He woke up, she told him to breathe deeply, and he started breathing again. A few minutes later, the same thing happened. Our day nurse, B, said he may have to be put on a ventilator. They brought one that didn’t have to be put down his throat – one that just fit over his face. They couldn’t get it around the tube that was pulling the stomach bile out of his tummy. One of the doctors came in and suggested putting the ventilator with the tube in him and I agreed. He’s now sedated and resting. They’re doing hemodialysis on him. They’re going to try and see if he’ll breathe on his own tomorrow and see if he can have the tube taken out.

February 22, 2019

Day 19 of our hospital stay. The ventilator tube is out! He’s breathing good so apparently it was just the light anesthesia he was given for the bronchoscopy (add that to the growing list of things he’s sensitive to). We haven’t heard anything about the results of the bronchoscopy yet. His white blood count is crazy high. They were able to get a second IV in him so he now has an IV and midline pic in his left arm and an IV in his right. Everyone meet my husband, the human swiss cheese. That nurse was awesome, though. He used an ultrasound to find a place to put the IV. The main battle right now is getting the lungs back up to par. He has some fungus in them, light pneumonia was mentioned, and when he was getting the ENT line put in (through his nostrils to his tummy), he urped and some of it went into his lungs which is why we wound up in the ICU to begin with. Then, they’ll deal with the blockage in his intestine. There’s lots of other things going on that the doctors seem to find on a daily basis, but we’re just dealing with them as we can. He’s getting hemodialysis today. He got it last night as well. I can’t be in the same room when they do the procedure and it takes about four hours so I had time to come down to the cafe to grab a bite to eat. The hemodialysis helps to heal the places on his leg and helps with his creatinine levels. I have learned more medical terms in the last two weeks than I have in my entire life. I’m discovering one of my favorite places to sit and eat in the hospital isn’t in the cafeteria – it’s in the front lobby area. The eating area in the cafeteria is quiet and mundane. Everyone is focused on eating and the reason they’re in a hospital café in the first place. The lobby is active. Everyone walks with a purpose. I see people lugging suitcases, books, pillows, flowers, and food. Doctors and nurses walk more slowly in than they do coming out. Man, you ain’t seen a purposeful walk like the walk of a doctor or nurse trying to get out of the hospital. It’s like they’re afraid they’re going to get stopped by someone before they’re able to escape out of the front door. I totally get that, but the evil person inside of me wants to stop one just for the sheer fun of it and pretend I need to ask them a question (I apologize for nothing). The other reason I like sitting in the front lobby are the couches. My poor tush just sinks down into that couch. There’s a lot of chatter – white noise. We are hoping. We’re hoping to get stabilized so we can get back into a regular room. We’re hoping we can get healed up enough to go home to continue the process. This is the hope John Sewell had talked about all those years – hope, in spite of the facts.

As always, please keep up the prayers. Pray for healing, pray for both of us to have strength when we think we don’t have enough, pray for us to have peace regardless, and pray for the doctors and nurses who have their hands full with our case, but who continue to shower us with their uplifting attitudes and competent care.

I have a little more to add from a portion of my journal for that day:

Dr. M came in and said his white blood count was in the 3000s rather than the 100s. He’s not sure why. The IV in his right arm blew and they put another one in using an ultrasound. That one blew. They tried again and got it. They gave him a breathing treatment. The pulmonologist came in and said they were going to do a pst where they see if Bryan can breathe on his own. The day nurse used an ultrasound to put in a second IV and found calcification of his blood vessels.

I have little memory of the pst, but I do remember that it seemed to take forever until he got to where they were comfortable enough to let him breathe on his own.

February 23, 2019

Day 20: Bryan’s IV in his right arm blew this morning. They did a pic line in his right arm to replace it. I noticed his arm swelling around the blood pressure cuff later and the nurse took it off. She thought the swelling and redness was from the blown IV at first, but I told her about the blood clot and she agreed that it was probably from that. He now has one blood clot in his right arm, two in the left, and the big one in his right leg that was discovered our first night here. The results from the peritoneal dialysis sample showed his white blood count went from the 3000 range to the 900 range which is good even though no one seems to know why it went to 3000 in the first place or how it got to 900. His nose bled a bit today from the ENG line. He also got three breathing treatments to help his lungs out. They’re giving him pain medication tonight at 10 so he can sleep through the night.

Our current little project is the bowel obstruction. They inserted a special dye through the ENG line that apparently not only allows them to see it through an x-ray, but it’s also water-soluble and theoretically is supposed to break up the blockage. They’ve x-rayed him five times now and will be doing it multiple times throughout the night to monitor the progress. After seeing the first x-ray, I can now safely say I know Bryan inside and out.

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Bryan’s stress level at this point was pretty high. Looking back, I wish I had asked them for something to help that. I was completely helpless at this point. I could do nothing to help alleviate his pain or his fears that he kept locked inside. Friends came with food, ate with us, talked with us, and for a while, things seemed somewhat normal. Or as normal as it could possibly be. I had started going home and getting showers, but by this point, I had gone three days with no shower or changing my clothes. One of Bryan’s doctors came by to visit. Another one of his friends came by to visit and we all watched the Memphis Tigers play Wichita State.

February 24, 2019

Coffee is absolutely necessary to keep me from babbling on like a 2-year-old. Especially in this place. #Day21

It’s been very calm and peaceful this morning which is unusual in a hospital, especially in ICU. Bryan is sleeping and slept pretty well despite x-ray coming in and out. They’re still taking pictures and came by about 15 minutes ago. Our priority now is the bowel obstruction. If we can get that broken up, then we can start getting him back on his regular pills vs the IV method. Once that happens and they can get his blood pressure stabilized, THAT will get us back into our lovely suite complete with couch. We just need his Diva Bowels to quit horsing around and start doing their job. In the meantime, I have enough coffee in my system to crochet a bit. That’s my true stress reliever.

Before you come up to visit, call or text me first only because he does hemodialysis at all hours, it’s a 3-4 hour process, and no one can be in the room during it (including me). 😜 He’s on it right now so he should be done about 4:30 or 5.

I was able to crochet only a couple of times while we were in the hospital. By the time we were in there for a couple of weeks, my brain had melted. Bryan’s brain had melted. We watched ESPN and I watched movies while he slept. It was all we had the mental capacity to do.

February 25, 2019

Today’s story is about poop. 💩 They had been running x-rays all night, tracking the dye as it traveled through his small intestine. Unfortunately, the dye wasn’t working and instead of moving on through and taking the poop with it, the dye back-pedaled and came out the other way. The general surgeon had been in and out over the last day or so, talking to us about possible surgery. He was reluctant to operate, but now we’re at a point where we’re out of options. On the x-rays of the small intestine, the surgeon saw pockets of stool all over the inside of the small intestine that are just hanging out in true CF style. Bryan is going to have surgery mid-morning about 9-ish. They’re going to discontinue his immunosuppressant medications and his blood thinners in preparation for the surgery. The peritoneal dialysis port will have to be removed during the procedure and they won’t be able to put it back in so we’ll be doing hemodialysis from now on. Then the surgeon is going to literally push the poop into his colon. The results for the bronchoscopy also came back. They found E. coli present in his lungs which means we now have to don blue gowns and blue gloves before we go into his room. I feel like a Smurf. This is our 22nd day in the hospital. I lose track of the days. We came in Monday, February 4th. Is my math right? They come by daily to do rounds. You don’t truly feel like you’re in a fishbowl until you’re in ICU when they do rounds. The nurse in charge explains the case to a large group of nurses, PCAs, and other folks who stare intently into our room and take notes on their tablets. I have to keep myself from waving or doing something silly. It’s so odd – being gawked at as if we were an animal in a zoo. For the surgery, we’re getting kicked out of our room temporarily. If you come visit, come up to the 2nd floor and the first waiting room you see right across from the elevators is the one we’ll be in. I don’t know how long the surgery will take, but I’ll post updates tomorrow as I get them. I apologize in advance for clogging up the news feed. Pray, pray, pray! This will be a big surgery. If this is successful, then he will be able to start receiving meds orally and start eating real food. THEN, we’ll be able to move back into our lovely little suite from whence we came. THEN, we can continue the process of hopefully getting well enough to break out of this place.

Bryan had been gurgly all night and the dye that was back-pedaling was the culprit. It was mixed with some of the stool from his intestine. He threw up quite a bit. It was the first time he had thrown up since being in the ICU. His IV was hurting by this point so one of the nurses fixed that. His Mom came by to sit with him so I could go home to do some laundry, pay bills, and get a quick shower. We found out Bryan was going to lose his peritoneal dialysis catheter so at that point, he was going to have to continue the hemodialysis. His response, “I hate my body.”

February 26, 2019

We’re currently waiting on the surgeon. He’s operating on someone else at the moment and we’re slated for 9:00 to 9:30. The procedure should last about an hour to an hour and a half. Y’all. I am so beyond touched. Not only are you guys posting comments on my updates that you’re praying, I’ve seen people post on their own walls to pray. With this much prayer chatter going on, God is going to do His thing just to shut us all up.

Bryan’s still in surgery. I got a call saying they’re about halfway through, but everything seemed to be going good so far!

He’s out and in recovery! The surgery was a success! In order to avoid the gory details, he was quite literally full of poop (I’m thinking it’ll be a while before I let him live that one down 😜). He will be asleep 3-5 days (yes, you read that right). He’ll be in ICU. Then he’ll start back on a liquid diet and we will go from there one day at a time. UPDATE: My poor brain. His BOWELS will be asleep 3-5 days – not him. 😂

February 27, 2019

The surgeon came in this morning and said everything looked good. He’ll get the stitches out in five days. Bryan’s now on a liquid diet so we’ll test that here in a few minutes. He’s taking his medications orally (yay!) and getting breathing treatments. He has three germs in his lungs that the antibiotics should clear out in a week or two. The NG tube is stopped so I’m hoping that gets taken out here soon. They had him sitting up and swinging his legs off the bed this morning and had him standing briefly with the walker at lunchtime. His blood pressure seems to finally be leveling out a bit. They have him on morphine with a button he can push. We’re still moving forward so I’m hoping we can continue that and not take a bunch of steps backwards again.

February 28, 2019

So [his mother] is sitting with Bryan while I come down to the SS office to get a bit of paperwork done. It’s beyond crowded. I feel like pulling a Mr. Bean.

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At this point, we were going to need to get things in place for long-term care until the kidney transplant. I had gone into the SS office and it was a madhouse. I got to a care worker, sat down, he asked me a question, and I fell apart. He was wonderful. He’d been on dialysis himself and shared his story with me. While it wasn’t the same as Bryan’s, it was so nice to hear someone’s happy-ever-after story. I needed that.

Day 25: Today is hemodialysis day. I’m not allowed to be in the ICU room at the hospital so I took the opportunity to run home and get laundry done because I’m out of clothes. It feels very weird to be back in the apartment. It’s almost like it’s not even home. After 25 days in the hospital, the world shrinks a bit. Our time will come when we can get out of the hospital, come home, and build our new routine. Bryan has lived in the moment his whole life so we continue to do that while also hoping we are free from hospital beds, hospital food, and the marking of days by the nurse shift change.

March 1, 2019

Today was a big day. Bryan had a bowel movement, he was propped up in a chair where he could eat Jello and broth, and they removed the NG tube as well as the morphine. He sat in the chair a good bit of the day and is now back in his bed. I guess I had imagined a different scenario playing out when he was able to poop. I envisioned pooping, smiling, and halfway coherent conversation. Instead, he pooped, he argued, and he’s almost as lethargic as he was when he was on the morphine. He coughs and it hurts his tummy where the stitches are located. I don’t know a whole lot about morphine so maybe it stays in your system for a while? Nonetheless, he has made excellent progress and we’re that much closer to getting back into a regular room. He was able to take his pills and eat on his own at lunch. His dinner came a little bit ago and he stated he wanted the Jello. He appears to have forgotten all about that request, though. He’s nodded off, buried under warm blankets and pillows. He’ll get his pills shortly after the shift change and hopefully he’ll get those down without me having to be the pill Nazi.

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He had thrown up a bit and it may have been from him drinking too much liquid while he was trying to take his meds. They had done another ultrasound on his arm with the IV as well. He was burping some which was a possible sign of his bowel system waking back up. His pooping was a good thing, but I missed it because I was at the SS office. I was ecstatic when I heard. He was grouchy. I realized then how much I missed conversation. I would have given anything to have talked about anything but the hospital. I also started getting an overpowering urge to talk to people about Bryan’s life.

The ultrasound came back and revealed his right shoulder area had more blood clots.

March 2, 2019

Coffee has been my savior these early mornings.

The hospital does a pretty good job with themes based on current holidays so today I get to enjoy some king cake and coffee. I hate to complain because our situation is just beyond our control, but what goofy, small thing do I miss? Being able to enjoy this king cake on a proper dessert plate and the coffee in a well-loved mug.

March 3, 2019

We had a bit of a setback last night. He had been taking liquids and sitting up in a chair. Later in the evening, he felt burpy, but still took his meds. About midnight or so, he got gurgly and start throwing up some the liquid and just couldn’t stop. He aspirated again. He’s now intubated, they put the NG tube back in, and he’s sedated. The plan for today is to check on his lungs and to slowly wean him back off to see if we can get him off the intubator and moving forward again towards getting out of ICU.

When you’re in ICU, you hear Code ___ get announced too many times. Someone has flatlined. When it happened in our ICU unit, we would watch as doctors and nurses would go into high energy mode and pile into the patient’s room to administer CPR, administer paddles, and do whatever it took to keep that person’s soul from drifting off into the netherworld.

Here was what I wrote in my journal later:

Bryan was a bit cranky Saturday evening. He had been taking his pills slowly. He was on a liquid diet, but hadn’t eaten much. He drank plenty of fluids with his pills, though. He didn’t like to be repeatedly reminded to take his pills. We got our night nurse team, R and a PCA. The PCA was the one who administered Bryan’s medication. She kept asking us things that we didn’t know because we just always went along with what the nurses did. She was starting to annoy Bryan and to be honest, she was starting to annoy me as well. She administered the night meds and I got Richie to double-check and make sure she had the right ones. I kept trying to get Bryan to take his meds, but I was unusually tired that evening. I left him to it and drifted off to sleep. I woke up to hear the nurse giving him his meds. Then I woke to hear Bryan coughing. I got up to help him out. He kept coughing and started throwing up some. Another nurse gave him some medicine for nausea, but it didn’t seem to help. He continued to throw up and suddenly became unresponsive. He was sitting up and breathing, but he wasn’t responding to me at all. It was as if he were asleep with his eyes open. I called the nurse and said he wasn’t responsive. They came in and tried to get him to say something, but couldn’t. After consulting with Dr. E, they set things up to intubate him and re-insert the NG tube. They called in Dr. W to do the intubation. That whole process took a couple of hours. Things were stabilizing until about 7 this morning. They had discovered he had aspirated and acidic bile had gotten into his lungs. His body started to shut down and he coded. Our room was suddenly filled with people. They couldn’t get a blood pressure reading so they inserted an arterial line. They used his hemodialysis port to put IVs in. I was already upset, but about lost it when they had to do chest compressions. I thought to myself, is this it? I’m not done talking to him yet. We’re not done with our lives together. The whole scenario was unreal. [The PCA], that sweet man, came in to help with the chest compressions and came over to hug me. Another nurse asked me if I was okay and if I needed to step out. Another doctor who was new was a bit overly dramatic and was like a puppy dog in the middle of all his older buddies. He was hopping around, giving orders cheerily and trying to put an IV in. He was mostly ignored. The doctor who came in to assist was very calm and proficient. Now it’s 8:00pm. They’ve weaned him off of the heart rate meds and his heart is beating on its own. They’ve weaned him off of one blood pressure medication. Tomorrow, they’ll try to wean him off of the ventilator.

He was now almost completely unresponsive.

My journal entry from March 4th:

Overnight, the nurse, woke me up and said Bryan’s eyes weren’t dilating and they were taking him down for a CT scan. The CT scan ruled out a stroke, but he’s been off of the sedation now for 12 hours and there’s very little response. If I massage his feet, he wiggles his toes. They did an EEG as well and we’re waiting to hear back from that. Dr. E is supposed to be by today to talk to us. The next 24 hours are crucial. If Bryan gets taken off the ventilator and breathes on his own, then we’ll let him and then let whatever happens, happen. If he can’t be taken off the ventilator, then we’re going to have to make a very difficult decision. I’m running on automatic today. Bryan never wanted to be on a ventilator.

“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

That “him” is Bryan. I don’t want to lose Bryan. We are just beginning our life together. We have too many things to learn about each other. I haven’t irritated him nearly enough. We haven’t been able to have a house together. We’ve only been able to enjoy Saturday morning breakfasts for a short period of time. There are too many things I want to do with him.

March 5, 2019

We had a bit of a scare after he aspirated on Sunday. He’s still on a ventilator and we’re going to give it a few days to see if he improves based on results from the CT scan and results from the EEG which we haven’t seen yet. I realize that’s a bit vague so I can provide more details via FB Messenger. We’re still here in ICU, just silently waiting and watching and talking smack to Bryan to try and get him to respond. ❤️

This was on Tuesday. It was all I could mentally post on Facebook for everyone. Family and friends started coming by in earnest.

March 6, 2019

A friend shared a set of verses from Philippians with me yesterday. I pulled two verses out that I’m holding closely for the next few days. We’re holding steady at the moment. They’re doing a more extensive EEG today. He’s supposed to have hemodialysis today as well (so if you had planned to come up, let me know first to make sure he’s not still in dialysis). I can provide more details via messenger. As always, keep us in your prayers. Pray for healing, pray for my mental strength as well as the mental strength of our family, pray for quiet peace and confidence for our family as we wait over the next few days. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7

My journal entry for March 6th:

We’re in a countdown now. A countdown until we pull Bryan off of the ventilator. We’re hoping, in spite of the facts. We’re hoping Bryan wakes up, recognizes who he is and we can start the road to recovery. The facts are that he has brain damage and we’re not clear on how much. The next few days are allowing his body to recover to the extent that it’s going to recover and if there’s no improvement by Sunday, we’re pulling him off of the ventilator. I’m not sure what to expect with this.

March 7, 2019

I am so sorry for the delay-it’s been an emotional afternoon. I am sad to say that Bryan has left us for a better place. We’re setting things up over the next couple of days so if you message me and I don’t respond immediately, that’s why. Message me anyway. Thank you, everyone, for your prayers, your assistance, and your thoughts. He was my best buddy. ❤️

Piecing the Jigsaw Puzzle of our Last Month When Bryan and I were in the hospital the month of February last year, I kept everyone updated through Facebook because it was easier to do a mass post than update everyone individually.

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shrus3758 · 5 years

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Planning a Northern Lights Holiday

I will assume you are already aware of precisely what the northern lights are. Why else would you be reading an article about northern lights holidays? It's common knowledge that the Northern Lights are one of the most amazing things you will observe in your lifetime. You need to see the northern lights, so, where do we start?

There are several possible choices here. Actually, there are many choices you might have. The two most important questions are when and where. You can find tons of countries from where you can observe the aurora borealis. In each of those countries, you have got a whole lot of cities which you have to choose between. Naturally, each has its own pros and cons. You should weigh these up and decide based on your personal interests. Certain places are better for partying, others are incredibly relaxing, many are cheap and some will make you swear the hotel providers are committing a robbery. What exactly is great is that there are literally a lot of options that absolutely everybody is catered for. And since there are so many host countries for the northern lights, you might not need to travel all that far.

Secondly, you need to select when you should go. This relies primarily on the place you are visiting so be sure you do a bit of research concerning the best times to go for your destination. From September through March, you can bet at least one country can provide a good view. You can already see how many choices you have when booking the northern lights holidays. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources out there with the sole objective of making it simpler to plan your vacation. Check Out Iceland Tour from India.

Then there's the 'how'. Once you have discovered when and where you are going to be, there are even more options for how you see the lights. Should you be close to the water you may want to consider northern lights cruises, particularly in Scandinavia around Tromso in Norway. Choosing a cruise will take almost all of the trouble out of the trip, allowing you to sit back and enjoy getting virtually everything done for you. In case you are inland or just don't fancy the cruise option, there are lots of northern lights tours available in each and every major viewing city. In the snow, it is possible to take snowmobiles and dog sledding trips out of the city, beyond the man-made light where the aurora borealis become a lot more vibrant and enchanting. Other ways of getting out of the town including hiking and bus trips.

If you don't know already, the northern lights look the most beautiful pretty much right in the middle of winter. Being so far north, you'll be able to bet that it will be extremely frosty. Sometimes up to minus 40. Celsius or Fahrenheit, it does not matter because at this temperature they are both equal! Until you have already experienced this kind of weather, you're going to want to pack some incredibly warm clothes or hire it when you get there. One word of warning though, if you decide to go for the hire option, there's always the chance of getting trapped in the cold before even coming to the location if you want to alter modes of transport at any time.

With proper research, northern lights holidays can be extremely simple to plan, despite all the choices. Ensure you have a look around to get the best offers. Finally, you definitely should consider traveling to Tromso in January for the northern lights festival. It would be among the best stuff you ever do.

#Iceland Tour from India

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trendinbuzz · 5 years

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Solo Travellers: Add these Amazing Places to your Travel List for 2019

Want to experience the therapy of Solo Travelling in 2019!! Solo travelling has become more popular and is on rising with time. People have started taking out time for themselves and are catering fuel to their wanderlust by travelling solo to destinations that they have marked on their Travel Wishlist. Are you someone who loves to travel the world alone, and enjoy your own company!! If yes then, whether you are travelling solo for the first time or are someone who is pro at travelling alone, we have put together an exciting list of these mind-blowing destinations that you must solo travel to in 2019. These places are specifically recommended for solo travellers, Scroll down and have a look at these 7 destinations. 1. Vietnam

Vietnam has so much to offer to its solo travellers, be it cheap food, affordable stay, pocket-friendly activities and beautiful attractions. To get the true vibe of this country just hop on a boat that will cruise through the famous Bai Tu Long Bay. Experience show-stopping moments at Vietnam and relish the culture, food and history of this beautiful place. 2. Chile

Chile’s landscape is something that is so diverse and mesmerizing, it has the best view to offer. Most solo travellers visit Chile to experience places that are remote and peaceful. So, if you are looking for peace and are a nature lover then do visit places like Torres del National Park, San Rafael Glacier- Patagonia. Also, if you are an adventure junkie then you can camp underneath the sky full of stars in the Atacama Desert. 3. Costa Rica

Costa Rica is said to be the happiest country in the world, and it’s easy to say why. The country attracts thousands of travellers every year especially solo travellers and backpackers. This phenomenal tourist destination is a mix of gorgeous beaches, green lush wildlife, eco-friendly adventure activities and mouth-watering local food. From Hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park, Zipline in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve to river rafting in the Reventazón River. 4. Netherlands

If you are solo travelling for the first time then Netherland is the country that you must explore as it is a great place to relish your soul. Netherland is a colourful mix of flat landscapes, tulip fields and windmills. Visit popular attractions like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Zaans museum and colourful windmills. The stats show that the total number of international tourists in 2017 who visited Netherland was 17.9 million. 5. Spain

https://wall.alphacoders.com Spain has everything to please all kind of travellers, be it solo travellers, backpackers or people travelling with family & friends. The place is all about museums, beautiful architecture, stunning beaches, exciting hikes, rocking nightlife and tongue smacking food. Barcelona is amongst the most popular attraction, where you explore the Parc Guella, which is a public garden featuring modern architecture and sculptures. Also, the 2017 stats show that the total number of international tourists who visited Spain then was about 81.8 million. 6. Ireland

http://school298.spb.ru Being the third largest Island in Europe Ireland a must visit destination for all the travel lovers. Take a Literary walking tour to Dublin, the city of Literature. Explore Grafton street’s and the see the print of the world famous stout at Guinness Storehouse. Also, you if you are a nature lover then do visit Muckross house and Killarney. Explore the beautiful Eye Square St. Nicholss Church in Galway. The 2017 stats show that total number of international tourists who visited Ireland then were 10.3 million. 7. Iceland

Wallpaperplay Icelanders were recently declared the Friendliest People in the world. Well, if you are solo travelling to Iceland then you will for sure make a lot of good friends there. The beauty that this country has is superior and out of this world. Explore the super happening scenes in Reykjavik and Experience the remarkable intensity of this place and watch the sky change its colors. There is no place like Iceland, so add it to your 2019 Travel Wishlist right away. So, whatever your reasons are for travelling solo, pack your bags, book your tickets and experience a vacation of a lifetime by travelling to these amazing places. #solotravel #travellist2k19 #amazingplace #travellist #wishlist #vietnam #cruise #baitulongbay #chile #torresdelnationalpark #sanrafaelglacier #patagonia #atacamadesert #costarica #hiking #arenalvolcano #nationalpark #zipline #monteverdecloudforest #riverrafting #reventazonrover #netherlands #amsterdam #rotterdam #thehague #zaansmuseun #spain #parcguella #ireland #galway #iceland #icelanders #raykjavik #trendinbuzz Read the full article

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rasikar-blog · 5 years

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Planning a Northern Lights Holiday

I will assume you already know what the northern lights are. Why otherwise would you be reading a piece about northern lights vacations? It's common knowledge that the Upper Lights are one of the most incredible things you will see in your life. You would like to see the northern lights, therefore where do we start?

Are you planning to explore Iceland Tours From Mumbai and searching the best Northern lights experts where the outings are available from Northern Lights Tour From India then check TheVillaEscape which will give you the luxury trips just have a look on the website.

There are some options here. Actually, there are a great number of options you have. The two greatest questions are when as well as where. There are heaps of nations from which you can see the initial Borealis. In each of all those countries, you have a whole lot associated with cities which you have to choose between. Certainly, each has its pro's and also cons. You need to weigh these types of up and decide depending on your own interests. Some locations are better for football, some are incredibly relaxing, many are cheap and some will make a person swear they hotel companies are committing robbery. What exactly is great is that there are actually so many options that completely everybody is catered with regard to. And because there are so many host nations around the world for the northern lights, you most likely won't have to travel everything far.

Secondly, you have to select when to go. This is dependent largely on the country you might be visiting so be sure to perform a little research about the best occasions to go for your destination. Through September through March, you are able to bet at least one country will give you good viewing. You can currently see how many options you have whenever booking northern lights getaways. Fortunately, there are are many sources out there with the sole reason for making it easier to plan your own vacation.

Then there is the 'how'. Once you've found where so when you are going to be, there are even numerous choices for how you see the lamps. If you are near water you might like to look into northern lights cruise trips, especially in Scandinavia around Tromso in Norway. Booking the cruise takes almost all of the trouble out of the trip, allowing you to relax and enjoy having practically every thing done for you. If you are away from the coast or just don't fancy the actual cruise option, there are plenty of upper lights tours available in each and every major viewing city. Within the snow, you can take snowmobiles along with dog sledding trips from the city, away from the man created light where the aurora borealis become so much more vivid in addition to enchanting. Other methods of getting away from the city including hiking as well as bus tours.

If you don't know, the northern lights appear their best pretty much right in the middle regarding winter. Being so far to the north, you can bet that it will become incredibly cold. Sometimes as much as minus 40. Celsius or even Fahrenheit, it doesn't matter because with this temperature they are both equal! Until you have already experienced this kind of weather conditions, you are going to want to pack a few incredibly warm clothing, or perhaps hire it when you make it happen. A word of warning although, if you decide to go with the employ option, there is always the chance of having stuck in the cold prior to even arriving at the location if you need to change modes involving transport at any point.

With correct research, northern lights trips can be very easy to plan, in spite of all the options. Make sure you take a look around for the best deals. Lastly, you definitely should consider planning a trip to Tromso in January for the n . lights festival. It could be among the best things you ever do.

#Northern Lights Tour From India #Finland Tour Package From India #Iceland Northern Lights Tour

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topfygad · 5 years

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Tips & How to travel to Oman in 2019

For most people back home, Oman is an exotic, off the beaten track destination which would never get into their travel plans, and they are particularly surprised when I tell them that Oman is a country that has been receiving tourists for decades.

I mean, Oman was never the type of country filled with random backpackers and casual independent travelers, but Western tour groups were not a rare thing to see, and both the harbors of Muscat and Salalah were daily loaded with cruise ships coming from all over the world.

It was, however, an exclusive country, with very little and really expensive tourism infrastructure; but today, thanks to the gradual internationalization of its neighbor Dubai, Oman is becoming a popular destination, both for expats who wish to escape from the urban jungle of Dubai, and Westerners who wish to explore the most traditional and welcoming Arab country.

This travel guide contains everything you need to know to travel to Oman, including all the practical information, travel tips, top experiences and loads of cultural facts.

If you are interested in Saudi Arabia, read here how to get a visa and travel to Saudi

Here you will find:

Intro: why visit Oman Visa for Oman Best time to visit Oman Travel insurance for Oman Books for traveling to Oman 5 Top experiences in Oman Tours in Oman Is Oman safe 20 Cultural facts about Omanis and Oman Food in Oman Money and budgeting Transportation in Oman How to get in Accommodation Internet More information

Intro: Why visit Oman?

I have visited Oman 7 or 8 times.

The fact is that I lived in Dubai for nearly 3 years, and going to Oman was the classic weekend getaway.

Two years after leaving Dubai and my corporate job, I came back to the region and decided to travel around Oman for a whole month, this time without a car, right before making my way to Saudi Arabia.

I love Oman, I absolutely love it, for many reasons, but mainly because it is a country which, unlike the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Kuwait, has managed to keep its own character and traditions.

Oman is an oil-rich country, but they don’t need to spend billions building extravagant buildings and nonsensical monuments.

No, they don’t need to because people visit Oman to meet the kind-hearted Omanis, to check out the incredible coastline and the most epic mountains in the Arabian Peninsula, which go as high as 3,028m.

However, I like to travel to Oman because I freaking love experiencing a culture which, despite the modernization of the country, has managed to preserve all its traditions and that is why, today, in Oman you can still attend a livestock market and always share a meal with a local in the traditional way.

Not surprisingly, Oman is getting immensely popular, but the good thing is that the country is big enough, so you can still find loads of off the beaten track places that have remained untouched for centuries.

Welcome to Oman.

Animal auction in Rustaq – I was the only tourist in the entire market

How to get a visa for Oman

Most nationalities can buy an Oman tourist visa on arrival:

30-day visa: 21 rials or 60USD.

10-day visa: 5 rials or 13USD

Multiple-entry visa, valid for 1 year: 50 rials or 130USD.

If possible, try to pay in either Omani Rials or with a credit card, because the price in USD is higher than the actual exchange rate.

You can also buy your Omani visa online through this portal at a discounted price (around 1 rial), which is 2-3USD, for the 30-day visa at least.

What nationalities are eligible for visa on arrival?

European Union, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela

If you come from any other country, I suggest you check the e-visa portal.

Do you have UAE residence? If you are not in the lucky countries list, but you are living and working in the United Arab Emirates, you may also be able to get a visa on arrival. However, you should check it with your own embassy.

Entry & stamp for Oman – Oman travel blog

Best time to visit Oman

In Oman, there really isn’t a spring or autumn season but the weather just evolves from crazy hot to pleasant. Note that, depending on the year, May and October could still be really, really hot

Summer: May to October Winter: November to April PROS

Pleasant weather in the high mountains

Low-season prices

Monsoon season in Salalah (South Oman)

Pleasant weather across the whole country

Loads of social life, events, etc. (Omanis are in their best mood)

CONS

Unbearable heat across the country

High levels of humidity in the coastal areas

Summer is so hot that you can’t even go to the beach because the level of humidity is just crazy – I found this beach around 2 hours driving north of Salalah

Travel insurance for Oman

Hey, Oman is an adventure destination, a country where you may be camping in the wild, go trekking and do epic road trips, plus their health care system is private.

For this reason, you should get the right insurance and I strongly believe that World Nomads is the best one because:

It covers the largest number of adventure activities

It is the only company that gives an unlimited medical budget

Pretty much any nationality can apply for it

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

Books for your trip to Oman

Oman Travel Guide by Bradt – The guide to Oman by Bradt is, definitely, the best guidebook about Oman that exists.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES ON AMAZON

Arabian Peninsula travel guide by Lonely Planet – They also mention UAE and other Gulf countries but if you like collecting the LP or want to combine a few countries, this is also a good option.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES ON AMAZON

5 Top experiences in Oman

Some travelers may not agree with the below list, basically because most of them are not on the tourist trail, but having visited Oman extensively, getting quite off the beaten track, these are my personal must-try experiences:

Traveling to Dubai? Read my complete 1-week itinerary to UAE for the independent traveler

Experience the khareef season in Salalah

In Oman, there is a place full of green meadows, where it rains, and the locals sell locally-grown coconuts, pineapples, and papayas. This place is called Salalah, in southern Oman, a city that experiences a monsoon season called khareef, which takes place from July to September.

During this season, Salalah becomes beautiful and lush green, attracting visitors from all over the country, as well as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Lush green hills of Salalah during the monsoon season – I took this photo in 2014, the first time I visited Oman

Driving the coastal road from Salalah to the Yemeni border

Very few travelers visit this remote part of the country, which is a real shame, because the coast of Dhofar province is home to the most dramatic coastline in Oman, composed of lush green mountains which, at the same time, serve as vertiginous cliffs that directly drop to turquoise-blue waters.

A type of landscape you would never think of in the Arabian Peninsula.

It looks like Hawai, right?

Dhofar coastline, somewhere near the Yemeni border – By the way, this isn’t a drone photo, but it was taken from the top of a cliff

Experiencing the Omani traditional life

What I like about Oman is that, unlike its neighbors from UAE, Qatar, Bahrain or Kuwait, it is a country with a complex, ancient history that managed to keep its traditions.

From livestock markets to artisan shops, actual Bedouins and historical mountain villages, the cultural experience in Oman is just as great as its epic landscapes.

Artisan man, in Nizwa

Camping at one of the many wadis in Oman

Oman is about outdoors and since the country is not known for its nightlife, not even Muscat, both locals and expats tend to spend their weekends outdoors, especially camping in a wadi (valley) over a night barbecue.

If you want to join an Omani group, check the weekly events on Couchsurfing.

If you decide to go alone and go on a weekend, expect kind Omanis to tell you to join them.

One epic wadi, somewhere in Oman

The historical heritage, from ruined cities to epic forts and abandoned villages

Despite being a mostly desert country, Oman has a fair amount of historical places to visit, ranging from well-restored, impressive forts, like the one in Rustaq, Nizwa or Bahla; to absolutely ruined historical cities like the barely visited one in Manah.

Moreover, the mountains of Oman are also filled with abandoned villages that had been inhabited for centuries, but due to their inaccessibility, the Omani Government gave the villagers incentives to move to more accessible towns.

The ruined city of Manah

Manah ruined city

Do you need to join a tour in Oman?

Heads-up.

Oman is a difficult country to move around, basically, because you hardly find public transportation.

Therefore, to travel in Oman, you need to either rent a car or go on a tour.

There is a third, more challenging way: hitchhiking – but we will get into that later.

If you want to go on a tour, I recommend the guys from GetYourGuide, as they offer a large variety of tours for all prices, and you can book them with just one click. These are some of the best tours they offer:

Empty Quarter – Well, like I said in the top 5 experiences, the Empty Quarter is one of the top experiences in Oman, and in any case, you can’t really go on your own, so booking a tour is your best bet. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Muscat City Tour – Muscat is full of amazing sites, but it is not very walking-friendly precisely. Joining a tour will definitely prove cheaper than hiring a taxi driver. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Jebel Shams – The Grand Canyon of Oman is one of the most epic, natural places in the country, and it is easily visited from Muscat on a day trip. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Nizwa Tour – One of the most historically important cities in Oman has a great souq and a beautiful fortress. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Musandam – Dolphin watching and the most impressive fjords in the Persian Gulf. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL TOURS IN OMAN

Taking sunset photos in epic Jebel Shams – Oman travel guide

Is it safe to travel to Oman?

Oman is safe and, perhaps, one of the safest countries I have ever been to, no kidding.

Even the utterly negatively-exaggerated FCO advice says that Oman is trouble-free.

The fact is that Oman is one of those countries where crime is a rare thing to see.

Actually, a good friend of mine from southern Oman told me that since he was born 40 years ago, there is only been one murder in his province (Dhofar), and it was between foreign workers.

How many people have been murdered in your province or city?

There are no pickpockets and nobody will mug you. Oman is very safe and terrorism is unheard of, especially because it has always kept away of all Middle Eastern conflicts.

For a more comprehensive analysis, read: Is Oman safe?

Here you can find all my travel guides to the Middle East

An abandoned village in the middle of an oasis

20 Facts about Omanis and the country of Oman

1 – Oman is an Arab country and Omanis are Arabs – It is one of the 22 countries that comprise the Arab League.

2 – Many Omanis are ethnically from Zanzibar – From the 17th to the 19th century, the Sultanate of Oman was a major maritime force which controlled a large part of East Africa, Zanzibar being one of the most important territories.

When you travel in Oman, you will see a lot of very dark Omanis with strong East African features. Most likely, their ancestors come from Zanzibar but, culturally, they are 100% Omani.

Read my city guide to Muscat!

3 – And then you have the Baluchis – Balochistan is a region spread across Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan and, for many years, the Baluch city of Gwadar (in today’s Pakistan) was under Omani rule. Baluchis were known for being fierce warriors and that is why, over the centuries, the Sultanate used them as loyal mercenaries to consolidate Oman’s power.

Today, a large population of Baluchis still remain in Oman (about half a million) and while they are considered 100% Omanis, many of them speak a distinct language which is close to Hindi or Urdu, and they have similarities with their South Asian neighbors.

4 – But there are more groups – From the several Dhofari tribes in southern Oman (which are culturally closer to Yemen) to the Bedouins, Oman is ethnically rich.

An Omani man from a certain Dhofari tribe, somewhere in the remote mountains of Dhofar province

5 – South Asians make up around 45-55% of the total population – By South Asians, I mean people from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, especially Bangladesh, most of them being workers with low-qualified jobs.

Bengali man selling fruit in Oman

6 – Arabic is the official language – Omani Arabic is very similar to the one spoken in UAE, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf countries, with its own similarities, of course. They claim that the Arabic from the Gulf is the closest to Classical Arabic, the Arabic the Quran is written in.

7 – Other languages, however, are also spoken – I personally spent several days in Dhofar province, staying with a guy named Mussab in a small village north of Salalah. Mussab spoke Jabali (Shehri), a language that sounded completely different from Arabic. He said that some old people from remoter villages in his region can’t speak Arabic, only Jabali.

8 – Many educated Omanis speak English – Especially in Muscat but, in smaller cities and rural areas, communicating in English can be a problem sometimes.

9 – Most Omanis are Sunni Muslims – There are small concentrations of Shias in Muscat and along the northern coast, but Sunni Islam is the prevalent religion.

10 – And they are a very conservative society – Islam is the basic pillar for pretty much any Omani, including the young generation. I hung out with Omanis from all ages and social classes and I barely met anyone who didn’t pray 5 times a day. They are strong believers and most of their rules, habits, and laws are based on Islam.

Some old Omanis in the market of Nizwa

11 – Conservative, but tolerant with foreigners – In Oman, there aren’t specific rules dictating how you need to dress, and alcohol is widely available for foreigners. Women don’t need to cover up and, if you want to wear shorts, you just wear them. Omanis understand the cultural differences between themselves and Europeans, so you don’t need to explain anything to them.

A piece of advice for women – When I was traveling in the touristic areas of Oman, I saw quite a few Western women dressing like they would do in a beach destination back home, and that was with very tight and small clothes. There isn’t really a law against that, and Omanis are the kindest people on Earth, so most likely, whatever you wear, they won’t say you anything to you because you are their guest. However, I certainly know that many Omanis get bothered when they see a woman dressing like that, especially in villages. Look, I know that I shouldn’t tell a woman what to do, but just bear in mind that you are in their country and, in order to enjoy their kindness and hospitality, showing your respect for their culture is a great start. You don’t need to cover your head or anything like that, but just try to dress more conservatively, and you will see that Omanis will receive you in open arms. For more information, read: Solo female travel in Oman

12 – Some of the most hospitable people ever – You may think this as a cliché statement, but it’s not. Omanis are in the top 3 of the most hospitable people I have ever met, along with Iranians and Pakistanis.

Over my backpacking journey, I lost count of all the house invitations I got, plus the kindness of the many locals I hitched a ride with, always willing to meet and help you, expecting nothing in return.

With a family of Bedouins, somewhere in Central Oman

13 – You will visit many guest rooms, but nothing beyond that – Omanis are very private. Families don’t really like people entering their houses, especially because it is the only place where their women can roam around freely.

For this reason, all houses tend to have a guest room, which is a living room attached to the main entrance of the house. If you are a man, you won’t be allowed to cross that room but, in that room, you will be treated like a royal guest.

14 – About women – Yes, Oman is a conservative Muslim society and as such, women have fewer rights than men but still, they are much further ahead than Saudi Arabia, especially when it comes to high education and public jobs, and you will hardly see any women wearing the niqab. However, you won’t really see women socializing alone in the street and, as a man, you will hardly talk to any of them.

Read: 9 Misconceptions about traveling as a female in Saudi

Men & women dancing together, in a random festival I attended in Badiyah

15 – Expect to see many pictures from Saddam Hussein – I traveled around Oman always hitchhiking and, during my journey, I got lifts from many people who had Saddam Hussein’s photo hanging from the rear mirror.

One of the few cars I saw with a picture of Sadam

16 – Get used to shopping from the car – Omanis have a strange custom which is that they don’t like to get out of their car when they go to the grocery store or want to take away food. Instead, they stop at the entrance and beep like crazy until a poor Bengali comes out asking for their order. A strange custom which I never managed to get used to.

17 – They even have drive-thru ATMs – When I was at the gas station of Salalah, for the first time in my life, I saw a drive-thru ATM, which was also located right next to a few normal ATMs. The shocking fact was that there were 3-4 cars standing on the line, yet, the normal ATMs were empty, which meant that they preferred waiting to getting out of the car – and it wasn’t due to the heat because it was during winter.

18 – The strangest signboards for shops – ”Fish Marketing”, ”Food Stuff”, or ”Café that offers meals mainly”, among the most classic ones.

Café that offers meals mainly

19 – Sultan Qaboos is the most beloved leader in the world – There isn’t a single Omani who doesn’t love their leader and the reason is that he has made their country great, not only when it comes to giving free stuff to its citizens – like houses – but he introduced a bunch of liberal laws (like freedom of religion) which his dictatorial predecessor didn’t allow.

20 – What you need to know about camels – In Oman there are a lot of camels, but most of them are concentrated in the south, in Dhofar province (the north is more about goats). Dhofar is perhaps, the place with the largest concentration of camels in the world, no kidding. They are absolutely everywhere, like sleeping in the middle of the road and stuff like that. Unfortunately, most of them will end up their days in a butchery.

Tales of Omani hospitality – I wish I had space here to tell you all the stories of hospitality and kindness I had with the tens of Omanis I hung out with. As I told you before, I traveled in Oman completely by hitchhiking, camped in the middle of towns and cities, and did a lot of Couchsurfing. When you are backpacking this way, the local interactions are non-stop and in most cases, Omanis just tried to be overwhelmingly helpful. I got invited to have coffee to countless houses, they took me out for lunch and dinner every other day and, on many occasions, the people I hitched a ride with, always insisted on driving me to my exact location, even if that required them to make a huge detour. For this reason, I strongly recommend you travel in Oman independently, not on a tour.

I love camels

Food and coffee in Oman

Honestly, food isn’t the highlight of any Oman trip, but there are some surprises and interesting facts.

The first thing you need to know is that Omani cuisine is very limited, as it mainly consists of meat or fish with rice, served in ridiculously massive portions.

Camel meat is eaten all across the country but nowhere like in Dhofar province, the place with perhaps, the largest concentration of camels in the world. In Salalah and around, camel meat is eaten very regularly in most restaurants, usually grilled, but you also find camel shawarmas, burgers and stuff like that.

Grilled meat plus a huge amount of rice. This massive Omani meal cost around 7-8USD and it could feed 3 people

Besides rice with its respective portion of protein, you may also find shurbah, a local soup made of oatmeal, tomatoes, and other vegetables.

That’s it pretty much when it comes to Omani food but, one day when I was Sadeh, a coastal village 2 hours north of Salalah, my host wanted me to eat a very special dish from his region.

And what are we gonna eat? – I asked

He didn’t know the name in English, so he Googled it and said: It’s called oysters. My friend catches them.

I thought we would be eating oysters in the same way we eat them back home but instead, he brought a massive dish of oysters without shells, cooked in a spicy sauce, but they still preserved the strong sea taste oysters usually have.

That dish was, definitely, one of the best dishes I ever had traveling, if not the best.

Loads of oysters, cooked in a spicy sauce

On the other hand, due to the big Indian influence, you also find loads and loads of restaurants – even in the smallest villages – serving all kinds of Indian food, ranging from daal to fish curries, and even calamari masala, always very cheap. Daal was usually my everyday breakfast.

Here are some facts about eating when you travel in Oman:

Typically, you will eat on the floor, with a plastic tablecloth

Usually, everything will be served on one single plate, even if you are several people, and you will eat from the same plate.

You eat with your hands, and no plates or forks are provided.

Guests are not supposed to leave any food – That was hard because of the XXL portions

In rural areas, you should eat with your right hand and doing otherwise is considered rude – This rule applies in all Muslim countries but Oman is particularly conservative and, along with Saudi Arabia, it is the only country where, on several occasions, the locals told me I was doing it wrong (I am left-handed).

What you need to know about kahwa

Kahwa is the local coffee from the Arabian Peninsula, consisting of regular coffee with cardamom, served in a traditional pot.

The problem with kahwa is that if you travel in Oman independently and have a lot of local interactions, you will be offered this coffee several times a day, meaning that you will have a shit load of cups, therefore, your heart rate is likely to increase.

When I was hitchhiking in Central Oman, where tourists are rare, one day I had to have more than 25 cups of kahwa – no kidding – as you are supposed to have at least a few when you are offered.

If you are in a house, kahwa will be typically served with dates and if you are lucky, with tajin as well, a kind of sauce in which you dip your dates.

In fancier occasions, they will serve it with halwa, a traditional sticky, jelly-like dessert made of wheat starch, eggs, saffron, cardamom, nuts, and A LOT of sugar. It’s a bomb.

What to do with all the dates – Of course, dates are immensely popular in Oman, especially in the north, and they claim that dates from Nizwa are the very best. Every time I stayed with an Omani from the north, they gifted me with a crazy bag loaded with dates, and they were so heavy. Since I couldn’t finish them all, they were piling up, so every time I hitched a ride with a foreigner, I also gave them dates.

Money & budgeting when you travel in Oman

In Oman, they use the Omani Rial (OR) and, approximately, 1USD = 0.39OR – Yes, it is worth more than 2USD.

Omani Rials are split into baisas (bzs) and 1OR = 1,000bzs

The Omani Rial is a stable currency.

Exchanging money – Given the fact that half of the population are foreigners, money exchange offices abound.

ATMs – Plenty of ATMs everywhere

Credit cards – In local eateries, taxis, small shops, budget hotels etc. you must pay in cash, so always bring plenty of it.

How much does traveling to Oman cost?

All right, Oman is an expensive destination (yeah, really), for two reasons:

There is no public transportation

There aren’t budget hotels

How much you will spend when traveling in Oman is hard to say, as it will depend on several factors.

For example, I have never spent much because, during my first 6 or 7 visits, I always came with my own car and used to camp in the wadis or the beach and, on my last occasion, I was purely hitchhiking and Couchsurfing, so I barely spent 20USD a day.

Local food is actually cheap but, if you rent a car and stay in hotels, costs will add up significantly.

Here are the typical prices of the most basic stuff:

One-month visa – 20OR (52USD)

Welcome package SIM + Data – 3OR (7.80USD) but then you pay 3OR for 1GB

The most budget hotel – 10-12OR (26-31USD)

A plate of daal – 500bzs (1.30USD)

A biryani – 1.5OR (3.90USD)

A big bottle of water – 200bzs (50¢)

A beer – 4OR (10USD)

Short taxi rides within Muscat – 2.50OR (6.50USD)

Bus from Muscat to Salalah – 7OR (18USD)

How to travel in Oman on a super budget:

Do hitchhike (it is fairly easy)

Do Couchsurfing

Only eat in Indian-run restaurants

Go to the mountains and camp outdoors

If you want to know more, read my guide on how to go backpacking in Oman on a super budget

Half Omani Rial, the most curious note

Transportation tips – How to move around Oman

In Muscat

Regular taxi – If you don’t have a car, taxis are the way to go in Muscat. They don’t have taximeters, however, and taxi drivers from Muscat are really annoying because they always try to rip off tourists. I recommend using Careem or Uber.

Bus – There are a few bus lines in Muscat that go all the way to Ruwi from the airport. They cost 500bzs. For more information, read my Muscat City Guide.

Renting a car in Oman

To be very honest, Oman is a country which is best explored by car, as the vast majority of its places are completely inaccessible.

A car will make your life much easier, plus you will be able to find epic camping spots and just have a lot of freedom.

I recommend you find your car via Rental Cars, a search engine that helps you find the best deals, no matter where you are.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BEST CAR RENTAL DEALS IN OMAN

Do you need a 4×4 for your trip to Oman?

Before making this decision, you need to think: where are you going to go?

The roads in Oman are generally good and the only 2 places I went where a 4×4 was needed were Jebel Akhdar and the road from Al Hamra to Rustaq via Bald Sayt.

Then, you have the Empty Quarter but, even if you had the best 4×4, it is not recommended to go without an experienced driver – The dunes in the Empty Quarter are a few hundred meters high, and they are shifting sands.

Unless you really want to drive off-road, bear in mind that renting a 4×4 is much more expensive than a regular car, so you really need to assess whether it is worth to pay the extra money for being able to go to Jebel Akhdar and Bald Sayt.

Bus

Traveling in Oman by bus sucks, for 3 reasons:

They just go to the main cities and towns

There are only a few a day

Cities in Oman are not walking-friendly, so when you get to a city by bus, you are screwed again.

Going by bus isn’t a good option for traveling in Oman.

Hitchhiking

The best option for budget backpackers.

Hitchhiking in Oman is super easy. I hitchhiked more than 1400km, from Salalah to Muscat and everything in between, and never had to wait much.

For more information, read my budget backpacking guide in Oman.

Why visit Oman? Camels are often found on the road

How to travel to Oman

Traveling to Oman by air – Today, there are many international connections coming from different European and Asian cities to Muscat. However, flying to Dubai will always be cheaper, so I recommend you check both and then you decide. The southern city of Salalah also has an international airport, with connections from other Arab countries, India, Pakistan, etc.

Traveling to Oman by land – Oman shares a border with UAE, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia.

UAE – Traveling from Dubai to Muscat is a 400km drive. You can come by car but there are also buses from Bur Dubai. Check here for more info.

Saudi – Apparently, the border was recently opened, but there are no buses and it is actually faster going through UAE, which would be a 1,300km drive from Riyadh to Muscat. Read my travel guide to Saudi Arabia.

Yemen – The border is open but it is a very long drive. For more information on visiting Yemen, read this post.

Accommodation tips – Which kind of accommodation do you have?

The first thing you need to know is that in Oman there aren’t hostels or guest houses, only hotels.

Budget Hotels – Only available in big cities and on roads. You pay 25-30USD for a single room but on the bright side, the few I stayed in tended to be clean and have some minimum standards.

Hotel-apartments – In big cities, you can also find hotel-apartments, which are very good value-for-money if you are more than 2 people.

Mid-range hotels – In rural touristic places such as Jebel Shams, Jebel Akhdar, villages like Bald Sayt, etc. there aren’t budget hotels and rates may easily start at 100USD per night.

5-star hotels – The offer of luxury hotels in Oman is very large.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE LATEST HOTEL DEALS IN OMAN!

Airbnb – Probably, the most budget options but the offer is quite limited outside of the main towns. Remember that, if you create an account through my link, you will get up to 35€ of FREE credit on your next booking.

Couchsurfing – Plenty of profiles but I recommend you send the requests in advance because Omanis tend to take a while to reply.

Internet

Wi-Fi – Wi-Fi usually works great but, unfortunately, it is difficult to find a Wi-Fi network, as the internet is expensive in Oman, so only hotels and Western-style cafés can afford it. So, when you are traveling in rural Oman, getting connected may prove challenging.

Moreover, Wi-Fi networks tend to require a local Omani number in order to connect, so you will have to buy a SIM Card anyways.

SIM Card – SIM Cards in Oman are expensive as well. Omantel is the most popular one. They offer an entry plan which may be enough for short-term stays but then, if you are planning to travel to Oman for several weeks, the price per GB is pricey, like 8-9USD for 1GB worth of data.

More information to add up to this Oman travel guide

Here you can find all my articles and guides to Oman

Traveling to Saudi Arabia? Here you can find all my articles and guides to Saudi Arabia

Are you traveling to Dubai and have little money? Read how to travel in Dubai on a budget

Iran is so close to Oman, are you going there? Remember to check then my tips for visiting Iran

And here all my content to the Middle East

This Oman travel guide contained everything you needed to know for your trip. If you have any additional information, or questions, kindly post it in the comments section

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tipsfortravellers · 5 years

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9 Biggest Pros and Cons Of Cruising To Iceland

Should you cruise to Iceland? If you want to visit Iceland what are the pros and cons of cruising over doing a land-based visit. There are many good things about taking a cruise, and I explore the 6 best pros of cruising to Iceland before looking at the 3 top things you need to consider that may make a land-based trip a better option for you.

Note: I travelled as a guest of Saga Cruises on a round Iceland cruise when making this video. A lot of the footage and tips also draw on my Voyages To Antiquity cruise to Iceland last year too.

** Buy my Cruise T-shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore ** USA cruisers get great cruise deals CRUISEDIRECT.COM: http://bit.ly/TFTBookCruise ** UK Cruisers get great cruise deals with CRUISE.CO.UK: http://bit.ly/BookCruiseUK

Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers aims to help you make more of your precious travel time and money on land and when cruising the oceans or rivers of the world. To help you, in every video I draw on my first-hand tips and advice from travelling every month for over 20 years and 60+ cruises.

Follow Tips For Travellers on: - Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers - Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge

Check out this episode!

#travel #podcast #travel podcast #travel tips

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kreuzfahrttester · 1 year

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Island und Grönland: Expeditionen in der Wildnis des Nordens

Seaventure Island Grönland …. Das eisige Paradies des Nordens mit seiner atemberaubenden Natur, geheimnisvollen Geschichte und kulturellen Reichtum steht im Mittelpunkt der neuesten Kreuzfahrtangebote von Iceland ProCruises. Mit ihrem Flaggschiff, der SEAVENTURE, stellt die renommierte Kreuzfahrtlinie neue Routen vor, die den Abenteuergeist jedes Reisenden wecken werden. Das Herzstück des neuen…

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#Iceland Pro Cruises #kreuzfahrt news #MS Seaventure #nachrichten Kreuzfahrt #news #SEAVENTURE Island & Grönland

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tripstations · 5 years

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Why travel makes you smarter and wiser, and how to exploit that fact

Editor’s Note — This essay is part of a column called The Wisdom Project by David Allan, editorial director of Features for CNN. The series is on applying to one’s life the wisdom and philosophy found everywhere, from ancient texts to pop culture. You can follow David at @davidgallan. Don’t miss another Wisdom Project column; subscribe here.

(CNN) — Early humans moved — from the savanna to forests to mountains to islands, between hot and cold, from coasts and deserts and tundra and back again. We hunted, farmed and built increasingly larger communities, and then we left those places too.

Humans were nomadic throughout the length of the Stone Age — and that represents 99% of our existence as a species.

Travel has clearly played a formative role in our evolution.

Our itinerant nature is also partly why our brains are so developed. When you’re exposed to new experiences, your mental plasticity (rewiring, repairing) increases in a way that it doesn’t when you stay in a circumscribed space and repeat the same behavior day after day.

In contrast, while humans evolved on the go, our ape relatives tend to stay in one place. Even chimpanzees, which have a nomadic impulse, only roam within about a 60 square mile area.

Humans’ “nomadic strategy meant that we were constantly confronting new environments,” wrote learning expert Alison Gopnik in her book “The Gardener and the Carpenter,” explaining the connection between travel and our species’ brain development. “Wanderlust seems to be built into our genes.”

Travel is change, and change makes you smarter because you must adapt — whether it’s to new ideas, new situations or new challenges. And when you successfully apply knowledge to how you live your life, that’s the basic definition of wisdom. Our subspecies — the only living heirs to those nomadic early human species — is named homo sapien sapien. Sapien means “wise” and the double “sapien” labels us as double wise.

Want to max out the wisdom-inducing power of travel? Here are some experience-expanding parameters to impose on yourself the next time you leave home.

Don’t go back to where you’re already been

Sure, you love the places you love. But what about the places you’ll love even more if you stop going back to the places you already love? You had to first go to those old places before you loved them, right?

The familiar brings comfort and some happiness (arguably less so when they become common). But the discovery of somewhere new and great brings learning and happiness. Write down all the places you’ve always wanted to go and let that inspiring list compete with the old places where you feel a gravitational pull. The new ones come with an added benefit of newly acquired wisdom.

Go as far as you can

The farther you go, the happier you’ll be, according to researchers at Cornell University who analyzed the language of tweets. They compared those written at work or home against those who shared their feelings while traveling far from either.

It intuitively makes sense. You’re escaping your routine, your quotidian stressors, boredom. That’s true of most vacations in general, but the added novelty of going far, far away — Mongolia! Iceland! India! China! Australia! Thailand! Nepal! — widens the cultural gap where all the great discoveries (internal and external) are made.

Go as long as you can

Money is always a limiting factor, as are available days off from work, but if you can swing it, the longer you are away, the deeper you’ll engage with a place. If you could stay a month someplace you’d start to navigate it like a local, discover more details you love about it, and begin to make friends. This level of absorption takes willingness but also time.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that students who studied abroad were more likely to seek out and enjoy novel experiences (neophilia, it’s called) in general, from tasting new foods to taking more risks. As the old Latin saying put it: Fortune favors the bold.

Add drama

In his second memoir, “Love Life,” the actor Rob Lowe recounted an entertaining story about commandeering a sea plane to sneak off a film set to watch a pro basketball game. Classic Lowe.

“Adventure is important in life,” he then wrote. “To have a great life you need great memories. Grab any intriguing offer. Say ‘yes’ to a challenge and to the unknown. Be creative in adding drama and scope to your own life. Work at it, like a job.”

Drama doesn’t have to be danger. But don’t forget you are the director and lead actor of your own film. Make it interesting. Make it one you want to replay for yourself and others.

“Following adventure creates stories that you keep forever,” Lowe wisely added. “And anyone can do it.”

Create a specific challenge

Traveling with some goal or mission — from language immersion to cooking to volunteer work — is a big share of the travel industry. But you can create your own quest. If you’re a runner, map out an interesting route. Foodie? Track down the best meal at your destination by doing your homework but also asking people when you get there.

Or indulge in a more personally specific pursuit. I love scoping out coffee shops and bookstores in new places. I also love walking and running in cities that I don’t know very well because I always discover something cool, usually a coffee shop or a bookstore.

I created a scavenger hunt for my family that we took on our last two big trips, to France and Yellowstone National Park. The list of items for us to find were subjective; they forced us pay extra attention. They included items like “beauty,” “kindness” and “love.” And then we shared our treasures with each other.

Don’t leave the details to others

Cruise ships, tour buses and all-inclusives have their upsides, but when you leave the planning, driving or explaining to others, you erase the value of figuring out where to stay and eat, what to see, and even what those sights mean. Convenience and even financial savings come at a different kind of cost.

Your travel experience will be deeper if you find great food and accommodations. Try reading about the local history of your destination from a book — even fiction works. Figure out for yourself how to get from A to B. And enjoy meeting locals and fellow travelers.

Cruise ships and all-inclusives resorts make for good Instagram posts but terrible stories. Rob Lowe would probably agree.

Go on the road

Speaking of not leaving the work to others, a cross-country car trip should be on your travel bucket list. You choose the route, you find where to sleep and eat and you discover the places and attractions to cut into the monotony of the road.

I’ve driven across the United States four times and across Europe once, during which I’ve been to a museum devoted to “devil’s rope” (aka barbed wire), had a close encounter with a tornado, skied in the middle of summer, took a selfie with a cardboard cutout of Bill Clinton at the Grand Canyon, talked for days to a pet fish, and got engaged to my wife.

You’ll inevitably get lost, come up with some creative ideas while talking to your friend, fish or yourself, meet some strange people, and end up in some sketchy town or bar at some point. All of it makes for good stories.

But also get out of the car

Long journeys in cars or trains can be great for the soul, but they are never better than encounters with nature. You have to touch places, explore them. One study showed that creativity and problem-solving performance increased by 50% after subjects spent four days immersed in nature (note: without their smartphones). Again, it’s the unfamiliar that fires up the synapses and stokes those flames of wisdom.

This is easy enough to accomplish. Route yourself though a national park or two. Scope out some hikes or swim holes before you leave. And buy a cheap tent so you can sleep outdoors at some point.

Get out of your comfort zone

Go someplace you don’t speak the language and learn some of it there. Seek out local food and cultural experiences that you can’t easily find at home. Learn the local public transportation. Don’t have all the days planned out. Give yourself a fun goal when you arrive but also walk around without any agenda at all.

Mark Twain wrote that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness,” in his travelogue “Innocents Abroad.” And the positive effects of travel, he added, “cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

The post Why travel makes you smarter and wiser, and how to exploit that fact appeared first on Tripstations.

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gtfovacations-blog · 6 years

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6 Best Diving Sites in the World for Beginners and Pros Alike

Giordano Cipriani/Getty Images The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, meaning we’ve got some exploring to do. The only passport you need to access this final frontier is a diving certification. The Manual checked in with PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, which has prepared more than 25 million people over the past 50 years to explore some of the most jaw-dropping diving sites in the world. PADI attests to having the safest and most comprehensive diving curriculum on the planet, so you can feel at ease heading to even the most advanced destinations. PADI experts also gave us an insider’s list of the best diving sites around the world, including massive wall drops, sunken ships, and bizarre creatures. Suit up and dive in!

Great Barrier Reef

Australia The world’s largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef of Queensland, Australia, is its own planet of uncharted underwater land. I mean, just look at the aerial photos. This spot is huge. “There are countless dive sites to explore on the Reef, most of which require at least an hour travel by boat. Given that the Great Barrier Reef comprises over 3,000 individual reef systems and coral cays, it’s no surprise that no two dive sites are alike,” says an expert team of PADI divers. “Take a liveaboard trip which will take you to the outermost sites. The marine life you’ll encounter is as varied as the sites themselves, with clownfish, reef sharks, turtles, parrotfish, minke, and humpback whales … and not to mention Wally,” a famous hump-nose Maori Wrasse who reached celebrity status on Instagram for his sweet photobombing. Level: All levels (the wreck of the SS Yongala is the most challenging).

Grand Cayman

Cayman Islands Crystal clear waters, stunning offshore wall dives as deep as 6,000 feet, sunken shipwrecks, even sharks — it’s all hidden in the Grand Cayman, which is also a favorite spot for its encounters with stingray and turtles. “Dive operators in the area specialize in personal butler-type diving, allowing divers to make the most of their time underwater,” says Nick Jenny, PADI’s regional manager. Recommended training to make the most out of your dives here includes the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy and PADI Deep Diver courses to help you hover effortlessly along the walls. Feeling like exploring a wreck instead? Take the PADI Wreck Diver course. Level: Intermediate.

Red Sea

Egypt Egypt may be famous for its pyramids, but the most seasoned divers choose this destination for its gorgeous reefs, wrecks, and marine life diversity. “The region’s wrecks, including the , are often listed among the world’s best,” says head of marketing for PADI Travel, Sandro Lonardi. “The Red Sea is also home to more than 800 species of marine life, of which 10 percent is endemic. Shoals of sharks, including reef sharks, oceanic whitetips, hammerheads, tigers, and threshers, can be seen. Plus, whale sharks, dugongs, and dolphins sometimes surprise lucky divers.” Many of the Red Sea’s diving hotspots are suitable for all levels, adds Lonardi. However, southern dive sites and liveaboard routes are more suited to advanced divers. To make sure you’re ready for diving in the Red Sea, consider enrolling in the PADI Deep Diver, PADI Drift Diver, or PADI Advanced Open Water Diver courses. Level: All levels.

Darwin Island

Galapagos Islands A naturalist’s dream, Darwin Island is located 600 miles off the west coast of Ecuador. The famous archipelago was an integral part of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, which becomes evident the moment you dive underwater. See marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins, and Galapagos sharks within a unique biodiversity that also houses hammerheads, whale sharks, manta rays, and mola mola (just Google it).

PADI AmbassaDiver Roberto Ochoa Juan Sharks/Galapagos Evolution “When you dive into the Galapagos, you practically dive into a natural history textbook,” says Lonardi. “Keep in mind, underwater conditions in the Galapagos can be rough, and the current is often on the strong side. Some experience with current is a prerequisite for diving here. Many operators require divers to have 50 or more logged dives.” Due to challenging dive conditions, it’s advisable to be at least a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. Taking the PADI Drift Diver course is highly recommended, while the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course will allow you to capture amazing photos. Level: Intermediate to advanced.

Silfra Fissure

Iceland Silfra is located directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a truly remarkable site given it is a massive crack in the Earth caused by the steady separation of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. “There’s nowhere else in the world where divers can dive between two continents and place one hand on each tectonic plate,” says the expert divers at PADI. Silfra also boasts crystal clear, filtered glacier water from Langjökull glacier, which fills the crack. “It’s actually the best drinking water you can find – feel free to take a sip on your dive!” says PADI. “But keep in mind, Silfra is 2-4 degrees Celcius year-round, so it is pretty cold! It’s very important to dress well to be prepared for the temperature both in and out of the water.”

Franco Banfi/Getty Images Thingvellir National Park requires all divers to be certified (PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent). The park also requires all divers to have completed a dry suit specialty certification. If a diver does not have this certification, the national park will accept divers with 10 logged dry suit dives in the past two years to come on tour. These dives need to be confirmed by an instructor’s signature. Level: Intermediate to advanced.

Raja Ampat

Indonesia Raja Ampat is known as a “species factory,” which is not an exaggeration. Located off the Northwest tip of Indonesian Papua, this spot is the very heart of the Coral Triangle and home to more species of fish, marine invertebrates, and coral than anywhere else in the world (to be specific, 1,500 species of reef fish and 550-plus of coral, with more discovered each year). “Keep your eyes peeled, as the corals provide homes to colorful reef fish, octopus, cuttlefish, and pygmy seahorses. Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles are common sightings, and reef sharks and manta rays cruise past in abundance thanks to a ban of shark and manta fishing that was established in 2010,” says Lonardi. Bonus? Expect visibility of 18-20 meters (and up to 40 meters from January to March). “Ocean currents are largely to thank for Raja Ampat’s incredible dive sites and, depending on the moon phase and tide cycle, sites can vary from being accessible to Advanced Open Water Divers to a challenge for experienced divers or simply un-diveable,” adds Lonardi. Recommended training includes the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course, PADI Drift Diver Specialty, and PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course to protect the delicate marine ecosystem here. Expert tip: October to April are the best months for calm seas and marine life. Level: Advanced. Read the full article

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marineclarity · 7 years

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Commentary: The U.S. Risks Losing an Arctic Cold War

The Christophe de Margerie, the first of 15 icebreaking LNG carriers ordered for the Yamal LNG project to provide transport of LNG year-round in the Arctic, loads its first cargo at the Yamal LNG plant at the Port of Sabetta on the Yamal Peninsula, December 8, 2017. In August 2017, the ship became the first to sail the Northern Sea Route from Norway to South without an escort. Photo: SCF Group

By Peter Apps Jan 30 (Reuters) – Last August, a Russian tanker sailed direct from Norway to South Korea through the Arctic Ocean, the first time such a ship had done so without an icebreaker escort. It was a defining moment in the opening up of previously frozen northern trade routes – and it looks to have supercharged an already intensifying arms race and jostle for influence on the roof of the world.

It’s a dynamic that brings particular challenge for the United States. In part because Washington has never regarded the High North as a major strategic priority, the area has been seen as falling within Russia’s sphere of influence. Now China too is stepping up its plans to become a major player in the region.

Last week, China issued its first white paper on its national Arctic strategy, pledging to work more closely with Moscow in particular to create an Arctic maritime counterpart – a “Polar silk road” – to its “one belt, one road” overland trade route to Europe. Both the Kremlin and Beijing have repeatedly stated that their ambitions are primarily commercial and environmental, not military.

Washington, however, is increasingly suspicious and – aware it risks falling behind – the Pentagon has been reviewing its Arctic strategy.

Speaking to Congress in May, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Paul Zukunft, revealed that Washington was considering fitting anti-ship cruise missiles to its latest generation of icebreakers, a major departure from these vessels’ primary research and rescue role.

It’s a suggestion mocked by pro-Kremlin news channels, with one of Russia’s top officials saying in Norway in January that the Arctic region posed no “military challenges” to any country.

In fact, Russia’s military expansion in the Arctic Circle far exceeds that of any other nation, and it has other nearby nations alarmed – particularly Norway and Canada, which have vast swathes of largely unpopulated northern territory as well as offshore oil, gas and mineral interests they worry may be increasingly challenged. (Both countries have ramped up defense spending, based more of their militaries in the North, and lobbied the United States to do the same.)

As Reuters reported last year, Moscow has plowed more resources into its northern defense than at any point since the Berlin Wall fell, in some cases giving it even greater capability and reach in the region than it enjoyed before 1989. That includes creating or reopening six military outposts and building three new, large nuclear icebreakers to add to its already 40-strong fleet.

Russia’s Northern Fleet, based in Murmansk, will also receive its own raft of new investment, including two icebreaking corvettes specifically designed to carry Moscow’s own latest anti-ship missiles. Russia says its Northern Fleet launched more than 200 missiles as part of nearly 300 exercises in 2017, almost certainly a post-Cold War record.

Moscow regards its northern waters as crucial to its defense. In particular, it sees them as a “bastion” in which to hide the nuclear ballistic missile submarines it would rely on to deter foreign attack. While U.S. and other NATO subs might potentially penetrate such waters undetected, Moscow’s defenses would make it all but impossible for any surface shipping to survive near Russian territory in any war.

The first new U.S. icebreaker is unlikely to enter service before 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard says – but that will be contingent on additional funding this year that is not yet guaranteed. The U.S. military’s only operational heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, is seen as incapable of remaining in service more than another five years. The ship also has other commitments at the other end of the world – it is currently in the Antarctic.

China’s first indigenously-built icebreaker, Snow Dragon 2, launched in December and will operate alongside its namesake, built by Ukraine for Beijing and put in service in 1994. Neither of the Snow Dragons is believed to be armed but, given the change in direction of other Arctic-operating navies, that could easily change.

In truth, though, it is the commercial potential in the Arctic – and the diplomatic campaigns behind it – that may be even more significant. And it’s an area in which America looks even more likely to be left behind.

Russia is the only country with enough icebreakers to reliably escort other shipping through still periodically frozen waters, and that gives it massive influence over regional shipping patterns.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Arctic may hold more than a fifth of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas reserves. Russia has been aggressively staking out its claims there for more than a decade, using midget submarines to plant flags on the ocean floor as part of its claim to some half a million square miles of undersea continental shelf.

China’s increasing appetite for the region is another significant dynamic in the mix. Canadian experts were shocked to see last week’s Chinese white paper categorizing the Northwest Passage as an “international strait.” Canada has long claimed that area as its own “internal waters.” The difference in wording is more than semantic – it could change who manages and uses the waterway.

In its official briefing on the paper, China said it believed any disputes or shipping routes should be handled through “friendly consultations” in accordance with international law.

Beijing’s “Northern Link” charm offensive is designed to mollify concerns, with President Xi Jinping visiting Finland, Alaska and Iceland in May last year. But that hasn’t been enough to ease concerns in Canada, Greenland and elsewhere, not least over rising numbers of Chinese migrant workers moving to the region for mining and other ventures.

The United States may never have to fight the war in the Arctic – not least because it is very hard to imagine how one might begin without sparking a wider global conflict. But that doesn’t mean it may not find itself eased out of what could become an important region without any fight at all. (Reporting by Peter Apps)

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rollinbrigittenv8 · 7 years

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TourRadar Raises $10 Million as Solo Female Travelers Turn to Tour Bookings

Multi-day group hikers trek Peru from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. TourRadar

Skift Take: Group hikes, river cruises, and other multi-day tours are still primarily booked offline through travel agents or direct with the operators. But future bookings of these tours will likely be digital despite the complexity. It's a tough sector, and TourRadar hopes to be well-positioned as the trend gains ground.

— Sean O'Neill

The multi-day tour market — think river cruises, group bicycling tours, and hikes up Mount Kilimanjaro — is growing but, like a lot of other areas in the sector, it remains mostly offline.

Solo female travelers appear to be turning to group travel in larger numbers, and one consumer site specializing in multi-day tours is trying to position itself to take advantage of the trend.

TourRadar, which specializes in these several-day tours, announced that it raised $10 million in a Series B funding round.

Endeit Capital led the investment, with existing investors Cherry Ventures and Hoxton Ventures also participating.

Founded in 2010, the Vienna, Austria-based company has raised $18 million to date. It plans on using its latest funding to double its headcount, from its current 85 full-timers, mainly by hiring technical and product workers. It aims to also use the funding to step up its marketing on Google, Facebook, and other channels.

Travis Pittman, co-founder and CEO, claimed that 90 percent of multi-day tours are still booked offline via travel agents, leaving a large market to scale up that has lucrative commissions on high-priced transactions.

The customers for multi-day tours are distinctive. For example, about 70 percent of TourRadar’s bookers are women. Looked at differently, 41 percent of its customers are solo female travelers and 18 percent are solo male travelers. This demographic appears to be turning to group travel in larger numbers. TourRadar claims its revenue between January and September of this year is double that of the same period a year earlier.

Strengths and Weaknesses

TourRadar is rare among tours and activities companies for focusing on enabling bookings multi-day tours. That focus has had pros and cons.

On the plus side, the focus makes it stand out in the market from a branding perspective. The specialty has also let the company avoid the bruising market share battle among better-known sites that mostly offer day-of activities. Among them are Viator, which was acquired by TripAdvisor for $200 million a few years ago; GetYourGuide, which has raised about $95 million; Peek, which recently acquired rival Zozi; Musement, which has raised $16.5 million, and Airbnb has been tip-toeing into facilitating peer-to-peer experiences.

The flip side is that its total addressable market is much smaller than the day-of, in-destination market that others, like TripAdvisor’s Viator, are championing. That limits TourRadar’s potential growth.

In its favor, TourRadar says it has signed up 500 tour companies, including most of the best-regarded ones, such as G Adventures, Intrepid, and Contiki, as well as local tour companies. Two of its fastest-growing partners are Arctic Adventures of Iceland and Intro Travel of southeast Asia.

River cruising remains a growing trend, and TourRadar has Topdeck Travel, Trafalgar, Uniworld, and others in its fold.

Counting against it, TourRadar has taken a long time to get venture capital funding. Presumably many firms experienced in investing in travel businesses took a pass, which is TourRadar ended up with a lead investor such Endeit, an Amsterdam growth-capital firm without much travel industry experience. The firm said in a statement that it is betting that the $50 billion touring market is ready to scale online further — and that TourRadar is best placed to benefit.

Also of concern is Expedia as a potential rival. The company is increasingly dabbling in multi-day tour inventory — though it still is nowhere at the scale of inventory as TourRadar’s. Neither of the other two industry leaders, Viator nor GetYourGuide, have shown interest in the complex segment.

To build a defensive moat against competitors, TourRadar needs to build up its “instantly bookable” tours. Today, consumers can only book about 3,000 of its 20,000 tours relatively quickly and with a minimum of back-and-forth between the customer and the tour company.

TourRadar also could be more creative in up-selling customers on insurance products. That’s because typical multi-day tours are non-refundable within a month of departure yet they often take place in parts of the world prone to political, natural, and other disruptions.

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lucindatracey-blog · 7 years

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Comfy Butternut, Sweet White potato, And also Red Lentil Agitation-- Oh She Shines.

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flintwest-blog · 7 years

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World Of Warships Cheat Engine

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