1.
Bus ride from hell in Peru – This is a really long story.
Basically, what was supposed to be an eight-hour bus ride turned into about a 17-hour bus ride. There were protestors blocking the main road, so our bus driver took an alternate route on an unpaved road, where we got stuck several times and had to get out of the bus. Also, the heat wasn’t working, and it was freezing! After getting stuck too many times, the bus driver went back onto the main road, where we encountered roadblocks (boulders, cacti, debris) from the protestors. Everyone on the bus had to get out in shifts to remove the roadblocks. Then, just as I thought things were settling down, we reached a bridge, where protestors had taken out planks. There was no way any vehicle could cross the bridge. So, everyone on the bus had to take all their belongings out of the bus and try not to fall through this bridge with huge gaps. I carefully made my way across the bridge and finally caught a public bus back to my destination after walking for another hour. I really hope I never experience a bus ride like this again!
2.
Getting sick on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia
While I was living in Peru, I had to renew my visa, so I went to the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca for my visa run. While I was there, I decided to explore an island on the lake… while sick. A boat took us there, dropped us off, and then left, so I was stuck there, and there was no turning back. It was really beautiful, but it was not the best idea to hike for four hours while doubled over in abdominal pain. I had no choice though. After hiking to the end of the island, I found a lodge to sleep at overnight, and I didn’t leave my room the whole time.
3.
Breaking my wrist in Lake Tahoe, California
I fractured my wrist my very first time snowboarding a few years ago. It was my first (and hopefully last) broken bone. While taking a lesson, I got a little too confident and fell forward on the hard snow. It hadn’t snowed in a while, so it was particularly hard. Unfortunately, I had to go to the ER and cut my trip short. I have not been on a snowboard since.
4.
Getting Malaria in Uganda
I got the deadliest and most common form of malaria on the last day of my trip in Uganda. It felt a little bit like the stomach flu – fever, weakness, and nausea. I felt pretty horrible and was lying on the bathroom floor. I think the scariest part was hearing from the doctor that I had it and that it was really deadly.
5.
Enduring huge waves on a boat ride in Indonesia
Hands down, this is the most terrified I’ve ever been in my entire life. The only thing that kept me from having a panic attack was remembering to breathe. We were going from the Gili Islands back to Bali, and we were hit with some enormous waves in the middle of the ocean. The captain had to turn off all four engines of the boat and ride these waves out. A few of the waves actually went over the boat. On top of it all, we weren’t given life vests. So, trembling with fear, I scrambled to find the life vest under my seat. It was in a small plastic bag that looked like it had never been touched, and it was really hard to put on. I am so happy we made it out of the rough patch without tipping over! I am now very aware of the location of life vests on every boat.
Thanks for letting me share my story!