Summertime! The weather screams for a sunny retreat and the hope of a relaxing vacation is on almost everyone’s mind (especially those of you with kiddos out of school). But there are a few things to take into consideration before booking that flight or putting in for PTO at work. Depending on the traveler and the travel destination, here are 4 factors to keep in mind.

1. Up-to-Date with Vaccinations

There are some places in which certain vaccinations are strongly recommended. While planning your trip (don’t wait until the last minute!)Take this into consideration and do your research. About 4-6 weeks before travelling, check with your health care provider to be sure your routine vaccinations are up-to-date. There are illnesses that we don’t hear much about in the US anymore, due to vaccination practices, that may be far more frequently occurring in other countries.

2. To Drink or Not to Drink

Don’t mean to be the Body+Soul broken record, but the importance of adequate water intake cannot be stressed enough! Not only is the amount of water you drink important, but the potability of your water source, as well. There are some vacation destinations where visitors are encouraged not to drink the water. If you are planning to visit somewhere new, this is a detail you should certainly look into. The last thing you want to do, specifically on a great vacation, is come down with a stomach bug because water isn’t properly purified for consumption. If bottled water consumption is strongly suggested for the place you are visiting, this means that brushing your teeth with non-bottled water or eating raw veggies and fruits that haven’t been cleaned with filtered water is probably not a good idea either.

3. Sunscreen

As most of us know, ultraviolet (UV) radiation given off by the sun can be harmful, causing skin cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that, thus far, there have been close to 2 million people diagnosed with some form of skin cancer (not including melanoma). Surprisingly enough, this includes people of color. It’s a misconception that skin cancer isn’t possible for those of us with darker skin tones.

4. Stay Informed

If you are traveling, especially to a place you haven’t been to before, do yourself the favor of staying informed. The Center for Disease Control does a great job of posting travel health notices. What’s that saying about prevention being better than a cure?

Shari Grant is a Registered Nurse in South Florida, where she was raised in a (very!) Jamaican home. Some of the loves of her life are words (both reading and writing them) and missions work. She enjoys spending time with friends and family while living for a good laugh - one that makes her belly ache and her eyes water. Her bottom line goal in life is to make the Lord smile and maybe even serve Him up a chuckle from time to time, too.