sick for the holidays

This weekend was the end of Ramadan. In Turkey, it's celebrated by the three day Şeker Bayramı ("holiday of sweets"), in which people visit their loved ones and celebrate the end of the month of fasting. Most of the other exchange students took advantage of the 4 day weekend to go visit some other cities in Turkey. Jessi and I stayed in Istanbul, due to a lack of money. Kaan worked all weekend, so I didn't really have any desire to go anywhere else. It was a pretty low key weekend, highlighted only by my acquisition of a cold. I'm still feeling a little phelgmy, but otherwise alright. Kaan and I spend most of our free time blowing our noses and coughing like demons. It isn't pretty.

However, in light of being sick, I wrote out some tips to staying healthy while traveling. I don't think anyone should follow these as The Truth, but I think they've helped me recover rather quickly. I think they're good tips to help keep the body healthy and strong! You might still get sick, but these are good ways to minimize that risk.
Sara's Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling
1. Consult your doctor before your trip about any specific health concerns you may have. He or she might have some suggestions for things to take with you or short-term tricks for healthy travels. You might also want to ask about any necessary immunizations for the trip or just receive a basic check up before traveling. It might be good to check in with your doctor (or nutritionist, chiro, massage therapist, whatever!) well before your trip, to allow the most amount of time to deal with any hidden health issues he or she may uncover.
2. Pack a multi-vitamin. While it doesn't replace eating healthy meals, it's a good way to make sure your body can still function on a basic, cellular level.
3. Wash your hands. It's common sense! If you are concerned that you won't be able to find soap and water, bring some hand wipes. In Istanbul, nearly every cafe and restaurant has their own supply of wipes, so they're easy to come by here. It's also very easy to buy some from home and bring them along. Almost every drug store should have some kind of antibacterial wipe.
4. Bring vitamin C for the plane ride! I like Emergen C, but I think there are a couple other 'drink mix' type C packets that are available. Since Vitamin C is water soluble, the body will only absorb and use certain amounts at a time. By taking it in a drink mix, one is able to space out the intake of C, thus allowing the body to maximize its absorption. Since they often come in flavors, it's a nice alternative to water and soda. Also, vitamin C can help keep things flowing smoothly, which can be tough to do while traveling.
5. Eat your veggies. If you're noticing that you aren't getting your regular varied diet or are relying on high carb, high fat, high sugar type foods to get full, you might try grabbing a salad next time you're out. I'm going to guess that even in the farthest corners of the earth one can find a salad of some variety. Giving your body raw veggies will help keep you in balance and ensure that you're getting those 6-8 servings a day. Eating a lot of vegetables can help keep the immune system active, which is always helpful after enduring a 8+ hour plane/train/car ride. Be sure to wash your produce well, if you plan on cooking or snacking locally.
6. Bring food from home. This can be much easier to do on a car or train ride than on a plane trip, especially with the TSA restrictions. However, if you anticipate not being able to find a lot to eat at your destination, try to pack some protein bars or easily-accessible snacks. I find that Larabars are particularly great for this; they aren't too expensive, they're raw, and they tend to fill me up. Even better, they're not too bulky, so it's easy to pack a lot. I also find that I get pretty hungry on long plane rides, so I make sure to pack some extra bars in my carry-on just in case.
7. Pack appropriate clothing. Even if you're going to be staying in a hotel just down the street from the hottest club in Russia, don't forget to pack your jacket. Almost everything can be purchased at your destination, but it can get pricy. For wintertime travels, you might be smart to check out a nearby REI (or other similar outdoorsy store) before your trip. They might have some advice for layering; some fabrics will be very warm and bulky, while others will be lightweight. Summertime traveling is much easier to pack for, but do be sure to pack some light layers just in case. While staying warm won't necessarily prevent one from getting a cold, it certainly helps.
8. Be active. Some cities are very tourist friendly and will have buses and taxis readily available to whisk one away. Other cities will force tourists to walk to and from any destination. In many cities in the States, it's far easier to drive somewhere than to walk. Depending on where you visit, it can be tough to remember to stay active! Go for a walk through the nearby park or even just around the block. This is especially helpful in keeping your immune system strong and adjusting to a new time zone. Be reasonable, though; don't wander away from your hotel (or hostel, home, motel, whatever) without knowing how to get back. Be sure to tell a traveling companion or hotel worker where you're going and when you'll be back. If it's late in the day or early in the morning, try to take a buddy. Don't overexert yourself! The point isn't to train for a marathon, just to keep those colds at bay and keep the body healthy. That being said, however...
9. Don't be afraid to stay in. If you start to feel yucky, turn off the lights and sleep for a day. While it is a shame to not be able to see the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben, it's more important to take care of yourself. Let your body rest. If you suspect that you might have picked up something serious, let your host know, be it a friend, family member, or hotel worker. They'll help you find out what the best course of action is or where the nearest hospital is.
10. If need be, don't be afraid to cancel your trip. It's definitely a bummer to miss out on a cool trip (especially when you pay all that money!), but it would be an even bigger disappointment if you, say, died or spent the duration of your trip in the hospital. Make sure you're up-to-date on what's going on in your destination. The U.S. State Department asks international travelers to register their trip. In return, they supply travelers with updates on any security or health concerns that might pop up in their destination. Another good resource is the World Health Organization's website. In light of recent epidemics, it can be good to know what's going on and what you can do.

That's all I could think of! There are probably many other lists of tips to stay healthy while traveling, but this is mine.

Since we didn't have school on Monday or Tuesday, it's been a pretty slow start of school. Maybe next week I'll be able to really feel like I'm in college again. We don't seem to have any books for the classes, so I'll see how that works out. I think for one class, the teacher will put together a collection of readings which will be available in the copy center. For another class, we'll download PDFs off of the internet. There are also three recommended books, but one is 17 lira, one is 35 lira, one is 68 lira. I don't know if I'll be buying all or any of them!

I have no other news. We're slowly getting things together for the apartment. Photos are coming, I promise!

Ramadan and counting down

Yesterday I enjoyed my last day of work! It was relatively low-key. There weren't too many customers, so I had a nice leisurely evening with my coworkers. I sure will miss those people!

I've now been fasting for a week. It isn't fun, exactly, to fast, but it is tremendously enlightening. My first experience with Ramadan was back in 2006, during my first excursion to Turkey. I only fasted for a day but was shocked to discover how proud I was of my abstinence. I felt like I was participating in something bigger than myself; little did I know how that feeling would stick with me three years later.

The following year, my first year in college, I fasted for the whole month. I told myself that I was only going to do it to see if I could. Sure enough, I did it. Again, I was overcome with a sense of accomplishment and pride. I realize now, after a couple more years with it, that fasting isn't about pride. We do it because it is humbling, and it is asked of us. I find it to be a reminder of the human condition. Many are without the luxury of eating 3+ times a day. I can say with confidence that I understand how it feels to be hungry. Certainly, I've never gone hungry for months or years. I've never struggled to make ends meet. I've never been forced to live on the street. But Ramadan is a good start. It is a time to help us remember the gifts in our lives and how easily those can be taken away. It's a time for introspection and dedication, for learning and reading the Qur'an and growing as a spiritual person. Ramadan teaches us submission, which is really the heart of Islam.

This year, I feel a lot smarter. The first year I truly fasted (2007), I was excited to talk about it with everyone. I made sure the people around me knew what I was doing. I had no idea of the religious elements of fasting; I just wanted to be doing something different. I did get involved with DU's MSA, but I never really stuck with the group. The second year I fasted, I was working full time and wasn't waking up before Fajr to eat breakfast. As a result, even though I wanted to be fasting, I ended up feeling weak and dizzy. Since I was working sometimes 10 or 11 hours a day, my health and well being were really starting to deteriorate. I decided to not complete the fast, only making it through a couple of weeks.

This year, I feel more humble. I try not to talk about it; I feel like excessive excitement about fasting can detract from the introspective, spiritual element of it. I'll certainly answer questions posed by my coworkers and friends, but I'm not shoving it in anyone's face. I'm also taking care to wake up and eat breakfast, so that I have the energy to stay upright during the day. This is particularly important, as having low energy makes it more difficult to be kind to oneself and one's surroundings. I find that I still start crashing in the early afternoon, but not to the extent that I was last year. I still don't have a good grasp on the religious aspect, but I'm getting there. I frequently find myself whispering some of the shorter surahs of the Qur'an to myself during lulls at work in an attempt to memorize them. I can almost complete a prayer on my own, relying minutely on my books to guide me. I anticipate that next year will be even more spiritually enriching for me, and I'm very excited for it. I'll try to read more of my Qur'an in the upcoming days.

I have about 2.5 days left until September 2. I've received some more information from my university in Turkey. It looks like I'll be in the political science department. I hope this won't adversely affect my desire to take international relations classes. I'll find that out the week of Sept. 11. I go in on the 11th to register, so I will (hopefully) find out more about class selection then. We have a 6 hour orientation on the 7th. I'm not quite pleased about the length of time, but I am glad it's shorter than the two-day orientations many of my friends are enduring.

Speaking of my friends, I believe that all but one has departed. It's been tough to say goodbye to so many all at once! Kyle is in Denmark, Cameron is in Russia, and Jenn is stranded in Japan for the moment. They all left within a week of each other, so it's been pretty dull for the last couple of days. My buddy Scott leaves in a couple of weeks, so I can only imagine that he's feeling pretty bummed as well. There is one girl from DU going with me to Turkey. It'll be nice to have someone nearby to talk to and hang out with. I'm excited to show her around.

In the next few days, I'll be packing and narrowing down my lists. I'm trying to find the perfect airplane playlist and reading list; it's much easier said than done! Hopefully I'll have a chance to try out my video editing software so I can start posting some vlogs. I have recorded a couple of short clips for it (mostly they're me staring at the camera and making weird faces, but it's a start), so if you're interested in that, stay tuned!