Europe: Bad Start, Good Couchsurfer

Right now, I’m sitting in the apartment of my couchsurfing host, Aimee. I’m in Chicago; my flight leaves in less than ten hours. Also, I have a fever, a complete lack of energy, and a sneaking suspicion that I’m on the verge of a very bad cold.

Yesterday, when I arrived at the Chicago Greyhound station, I was feeling perky. In my usual fashion, I decided to ditch this sissy "take the subway" stuff and just hoof it over to Aimee's apartment (we had agreed to meet at 7:00). 

3.3 miles later, I was feeling a little hot and feverish, so I stopped and got frozen yogurt at a little shop just a block away from Aimee's. The yogurt was expensive but refreshing and delicious. I savored every last bite, then suddenly realized that I was feeling completely awful.

For a few minutes I just hunched over the table feeling nauseated, praying that God would make it go away. I had a few seconds of respite, and then the nausea kicked in, this time with a blinding fever and that dry feeling in my mouth just before I throw up. I wanted to ask if the restaurant had a restroom, but I was too dizzy to stand up. My hearing went away, and I could only hear sounds as if through water.

Om nom salad!

I prayed and I prayed and I promised God that I wouldn't try to walk with a backpack in the heat when I was sick anymore. I felt another brief respite, then stumbled out the door, where I sat down on a bench outside, near a trashcan in case I had to throw up. With a slight breeze on my face, I perked up almost immediately. Within a couple minutes, I was feeling well enough to walk down the block and up a flight of stairs to Aimee's house, where I met her with a cheerful smile. 

She was, as I suspected, a cool gal. She gave me a lot of helpful advice about Europe (she’s traveled a good portion of the world), not to mention fixing me a kale-beet-tomato-cucumber-pea-sprout-some-other-kind-of-super-green salad that gave me more nutrients in one serving than I’ve eaten all week.

Today, I woke up with a fever. Aimee fed me again, then headed off to work, leaving me with a spare key. I took a cool shower and now I’m trying to rest and let the fever run its course a bit before I head to the airport. Am I nervous? Yes, quite a lot. But I’m still determined to see this through. Europe, here I come!

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