Rolling Traveler

The fever came back today and overcooked what would have been a great post, leaving me staring at a blank screen with a blank and rather fuzzy brain. In the past 15 years, I’ve traveled to over 40 cities in over 15 countries, and I can’t think of a thing to write about except “I’m still sick” and “I hate how antibiotics make me feel”. Considering that I used to teach writing classes, that’s kind of embarrassing.

However, seeing as yesterday I just got this blog of mine restarted after a rocky month, I’m not going to let that stop me. 

It was interesting to see how many friends told me I was probably sick now because I traveled last week. “You probably picked it up on the plane” or “Well, you were away” is what I got. Why is that more likely than my having picked it up from one of my co-workers or students? Or on a commuter train heading for work? Or just from having a weakened immune system due to stress? I find travel can get a little demonized by people when it comes to getting ill. I’m not saying you can’t catch a cold from a fellow passenger, I just don’t think it’s a more likely cause than any other. 

I’ve traveled so many times without falling ill that I never think of travel-related matters as the cause. I look more to myself. Have I been taking good enough care of myself? Did I drink enough water, get enough rest, dress for the weather? Was I careful not to touch my tires during dinner? Let’s face it, wheelchair tires can be nasty, so after I wash my hands for dinner, I try not to touch them. Was I under a lot of stress?

That might be the reason other people make the travel and sickness connection - because they find traveling stressful, and stress does weaken the immune system. Stress is a far more likely contender for the cause of your post-holiday cold than the air on the plane or the passenger with the blocked nose sitting two rows back, if you ask me.

Thoughts?