Spain

When I traveled to Spain in 2008, I was still young and somewhat naive. Although I previously had traveled internationally to England, Scotland, France, and Costa Rica, I failed to visit a travel doctor or check health safety precautions prior to my trip.

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I have paid an enormous price for my mistakes…and almost my life.

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Somewhere in Spain (possibly along the Mediterranean Coast), I contracted Brucella, a bloodborne infection which still gives me problems over a decade later.

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I have endured two surgeries on major organs in my body and numerous other problems. It will be with me for the rest of my life.

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None of the doctors knew what was wrong with me. The brucella kept being misdiagnosed and was not medically found in my system until 2010; it had two years to ravage my body.

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Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had made the decision to not travel to Spain. Would it be better? Has this been a humbling experience? A learning experience?

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I still do not know the answer.