Vaccine in a Capsule + Breaking in my new boots

Just to get this out of the way, 30 days until Peru!!!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, today is a day of two different 2nds for me. The first 2nd is I will be taking my second Vivotif pill, which is an oral vaccine for Typhoid fever. Rather than getting a shot, which lasts for 2 years, I opted for this "Vaccine in a Capsule," which pretty much is swallowing 4 pills (1 every other day for a week) that will last for 5 years. These pills have a genetically altered, yet live form of Typhoid Fever in them. The alteration is so it won't actually give me Typhoid, while at the same time my body fights it off, and develops antibodies against Typhoid. There's actually a somewhat fascinating video about how it all works at their website: www.oraltyphoidvaccine.com. Their website also proves that you can make just about anything fun and entertaining simply by having an animated mascot:
Typhoid Fever might be the only vaccination I need for this trip. I've read varying things that travelers should get a Tetanus booster every 5 years instead of 10, so I might end up getting that one as well (not looking forward to it, because I recall the one I got in 2005 made my arm sore for about a week). I was also told to possibly get an MMR as an adult, but I'm pretty sure I got my adult booster of that around my 18th birthday (currently doing research to verify this).

The second 2nd is that today is the second day I'm wearing my hiking boots (and first day I'm wearing my smartwool socks) to break them in before the trip. They definitely feel a little tighter than when I tried them on in the store, so they definitely need some breaking in. Here's a picture I just took at my desk:
That's about it for now. I found a jacket I liked yesterday at Dick's Sporting Goods, but they didn't have it in my size, so I'm heading to a different location during my lunch hour to see if they have it in my size.

The closer to the trip I get, the more excited I become!

Until next time,

Ryan

I now have hiking boots and socks!

It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything here, and this is the most interesting thing I have to write about at the moment. Indiana is apparently not an adventurous enough state for REI to open up a store here, so this afternoon I went to Gander Mountain with the goal of buying hiking boats, socks, and a rain poncho/suit.

I had done some research online, and surveyed friends who hike, but the best advice anyone gave me was that you simply have to go to a store and try some boots on, and go with what feels comfortable. When I got to the store, I struck up a conversation with a very knowledgeable sales rep who told me a few key things to look for in a boot, and then recommended a couple of brands as well. After trying some on, I ultimately went with these:

Keen Siskiyou mid-tops. The boots felt very sturdy, and the sales rep, who seemed to be quite the hiker himself, said that going with a mid-top would give me the necessary ankle-support to help prevent spraining an ankle on the hike.

He also recommended wool hiking socks, and in particular, the smartwool brand, because they were currently on a 20% discount. He said that wool socks breathe easy, can keep you both warm and cool when necessary, and if they get wet, can dry out in 10 minutes, unlike cotton socks.

Unfortunately, when I got home, I discovered that the socks didn't ring up at the sale price. Driving 25 minutes each way to the store a second time would probably burn enough gas to to nullify the money I'd save going there to get them to correct the price. However, I called the store, and was told they could do a price-adjustment over the phone. I'll be checking my credit card to see if they actually do it or not.

I did not have the luck I hoped with the rain poncho/suit. I talked to another sales rep there who pointed me towards a couple of different options, but unfortunately the option I liked the most was dependent on having a water-proof backpack cover, which they did not have any of in stock. I'll be looking into those in the next few days, and see if it makes sense to get one or not (I'm guessing it will).

I still need to go to Passport Health and see what vaccinations I need, if any. I've been so busy, I haven't had the time to these past couple of weeks. I think I'll hold off one more week. Some good friends of mine are getting married next weekend, and I've heard some vaccinations I might need to get can make you sick for a while. I don't want to be sick for the wedding, so it will wait one more week.

I'm hungry, and honestly don't have much more to say at the moment. Six weeks to go until the trip. I'm getting more excited by the day!

Until next time,

Ryan