sensitive

Okavango Delta, Botswana, 2019

There's nothing quite like breaking out in hives in a remote location.

I have sensitive skin. Sensitive doesn't even begin to truly describe it. More like fragile delicate skin that requires special products that were created from unicorn tears, prayed over by monks, and blessed by St. Oprah herself.

I always travel with my own soap, shampoo, lotion, sunblock, and sunscreen. I also carry a small but mighty first aid kit. But something usually sets my skin off and I end up using all the supplies I packed and then needing more.

I've broken out in hives or had some sort of allergic reaction on four different continents and used Google Translate to say "Do you sell hydrocortisone?" or "Do you sell antihistamines?" in multiple languages.

Running out of hydrocortisone in Portugal isn't a big deal. There are farmácias on every block. Você vende hidrocortisona?

Running out of meds while on safari in Namibia is a different thing altogether. Verkaufen Sie Antihistaminika?

So naturally I developed a horrible case of hives early in our big adventure in 2019 and it took several days for me to get things sorted out. I ended up playing charades in a pharmacy in Botswana one day.

On a trip to South Africa, I developed an allergic reaction to bug spray and had a full-body rash by the end of the trip. Still, it was better than malaria, right?

Luckily, these are uncomfortable inconveniences and not life-threatening illnesses or injuries. I have a relative who has ended up in hospitals on three different trips, including one where emergency surgery was required.

So I'd like to take a moment to just offer a word of thanks to the inventors of all those common medications we all tend to take for granted.

Gracias, merci, obrigada, grazie, danke, origato.