It’s been a while! It’s been ages since I last posted, and I’m sorry for the absence. As you may have guessed from the title, I was hospitalized with pneumonia for 10 days in July—right in the middle of our honeymoon! A disaster of epic proportions, though we did our best to make the most of it. From hospital soup to my husband bringing me schnitzel-to-go day in and day out, we found little ways to keep our spirits up. After countless rounds of IV antibiotics, steroids, CT scans, and endless nebulizers, I was finally released. Then began my journey of walking without collapsing from lack of oxygen. It was a struggle, to say the least—my oxygen levels had dropped to 66 the night the ambulance came. Scary times!

Despite it all, we persevered, did our best to eat our way through Vienna, waited the necessary (or, as one doctor mandated, essential) four weeks before flying back, and finally returned to the U.S.

Although this experience was traumatic and weighed on me for a while, I learned a few critical lessons: (A) buy the best travel insurance possible, and (B) be prepared to fight for compensation—travel insurance companies don’t exactly roll out the red carpet! But we won that battle, thankfully, and this whole experience hasn’t deterred us from future travel.

It’s been four months since my hospitalization, and next week, I have a full-body CT scan, blood tests, and a whole lot of follow-up—while still juggling teaching, meal-prepping, spending time with my husband and loved ones, and finding time to relax.

Our next trip is coming up in December, and I can’t wait to share the destination! Stay tuned!

Have you ever had a medical emergency while on vacation? How did you cope? Feel free to share in the comments if you’re comfortable.