Getting ready to go to Thailand is exciting and fun. Packing, reading books, learning a few words here and there... But it is expensive. So far the priciest part has been the vaccinations, which have in fact cost more than the plane ticket.
Because Thailand is near the equator, it is home to lots of mosquito-born diseases... like malaria, dengue fever, and my favorite: Japanese Encephalitis. The name alone makes you cringe, and according to the CDC one of the symptoms is "coma." Hm. CDC also states that "About 1 person in 4 with encephalitis dies. Of those who don’t die, up to half may suffer permanent brain damage."
Confronted with the vaccine pricetag of $600 to avoid such a fate, I did what any reasonable person would do: I called my mom and tried to guilt trip her into paying for it (OK so I texted her - the odds were against me anyway). When that failed, I went ahead and got the vaccine. Minutes later, as I was having several hundred dollars shot into my left arm, I couldn't help but thing what else I could get for $600 that might be more enjoyable.... so I started a list. It includes:
an iPad and an iPhone
75 Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bols with guacamole (my fave)
1 pair of Manolo Blahnik heels
11 Magic Bullet Blenders (which, despite my theories about economies of scale, have not experienced a price drop in the five years that I have desperately wanted one)
3,000 minutes on Skype to talk with my family
Now, I'll be texting my Mom to ask if she can at least help me with the last item and foot the phone bill...
