We both went to the Dartmouth Hitchcock Travel Clinic this week for a pre-trip consultation with a nurse. It was a good experience all around. The nurse took time to talk with us about injury and illness prevention. The nurse was extremely knowledgeable about the different regions of the world we are planning on going to. Of course we took a few pokes in the arm (yellow fevor, tetnus, typhoid), got some malaria pills (expensive but worth the cost) and a truckload of information to read on every country in the itinerary.

I thought I would just take this time to make a point about safety: I know a lot of you are concerned about us as we make our way to strange and foreign parts of the globe, and believe me the concern is appreciated. Lisa and I both understand that there are risks inherent in this type of travel and we plan to take all necessary precautions to have a safe trip. However we also understand that it is only through great risk that one can achieve great reward. More than anything we ask for your thoughts and prayers as we go - that along with some common sense should see us through.

-Jim