I’m wrapping up another couple of weeks of traveling, and once again, I’m sick! I don’t know why this happens to me almost every single time I travel…but unfortunately, it does. 

Back in college, I always got sick right after finishing my last final. It’s like the stress managed to keep the cold or whatever at bay until I had time to really be sick.

But it’s not like spending my week taking gentle seaside strolls, visiting beautiful churches, and eating thousands of delicious pinches was exactly stressful. Still, for whatever reason, I’ve lost my voice, my whole body aches, and I’m sniffly and verging on grumpy. 

woman-sneeze

Photo credit: Corbis via The Guardian – I only wish I looked this stylish while sneezing! 

It happened in May while I was in Ibiza, which was decidedly not a stressful trip. Trying to figure out where to find your friends in a 15,000+ person nightclub is hard enough, but try doing that without a voice. Okay, the endless partying wasn’t exactly an optimal health choice and may have contributed to my sick state…but still!

It happened while I was in Asturias, forcing me to go home from a sidra-tasting when I couldn’t even croak out an “hola” anymore.

It happened when I got back from California after the holidays, making me even less happy about not having hot water or heating in my freezing apartment.

The same thing happens every couple of months. I’m consistently voiceless, making my guiri attempts to communicate even more absurd (OK, that’s an exaggeration – I speak good Spanish!). It doesn’t seem to matter where I go, what I do, how I get there, or what the weather’s like; I’m just always sick after traveling. 

The only upside? I’ve learned a variety of ways to communicate to the pharmacist or doctor that I am afónica. The nice ones don’t even laugh at me.

THE-DOCTOR-PATIENT-RELATIONSHIP5

Even the nice ones, however, smirk.

I guess my psych degree might come in handy here. Even though travel’s not stressful in the negative sense of the word, it’s stressful in the sense that it  mixes up your routine and makes you adjust to new situations constantly. Maybe that’s part of the reason?

My mum’s theory was that I’m too tough to let myself get sick during an important event. I’m not sure that’s exactly true, but I do let myself relax fully after a big event.

Either way, when my parents left on Friday, I was feeling pretty terrible. Even though I was very sad they were leaving, I was also so relieved that I could just go home and stay in bed.

That’s pretty much all I’ve done this weekend – stayed in bed and watched T.V. (yay So You Think You Can Dance and Lo Sabe, No Lo Sabe – thanks to Kaley from Y Mucho Más for recommending this one!). Of course, this was the weekend that lots of fun stuff happened (a dinner party, a giant outdoor free party in front of a palace, and lots of friends who wanted to celebrate the ends of their finals). The universe also taunted me with a steady stream of overexcited hen and stag night parties going on right beneath my window.

Apolo-Nasty-Mondays-Barcelona-crazy-party

JEALOUS if this was your weekend. 

That’s probably the best sign I’m on the mend. When I start feeling well enough to feel jealous of people at parties, it’s a sure sign that I’ll be back on my feet in a discoteca within days tonight. Or at least, I hope so!

Also, one last note – thanks again to my guest posters this week! Paul from Take Ya There wrote about 5 secret things to do in Madrid, and Alan and Daniel from Entra en el Menú had some fabulous restaurant recommendations for Barcelona. 

Do you ever get sick after you travel? If you do, any theories why?

Besos!

-Jess