When we dream about exploring the world we envision dramatic landscapes, swimming with whales, and exciting new food. Not exotic rashes, food poisoning, or dengue fever.
So, what happens if you get deathly ill at sea? Or have a serious injury on a remote island? What do you do about regular doctor’s visits while in a foreign country?
All good questions we’ll get to shortly. But first, we’re in Thailand and I (Nikki) needed to see an ENT and get all of our regular checkups done (OBGYN, Dentist, Dermatologist). So we thought why not get it all done and then some!?!
Jason passed out, had a wardrobe malfunction and I got some stuff shoved up my nose. It turned out to be a much bigger (and cheaper) adventure than we expected!
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE
Just as we maintain our boat to prevent aging and fatigue, we need to maintain our bodies and minds. Something we haven’t been as good at as we would like…but we are working on it! We read The 4 Hour Body years ago and learned a lot from that book. But we recently read Outlive by Dr. Peter Attia and it was such a clear, scientific picture. Preventative health is the key to a long, happy life. It has re-motivated us to get serious about our overall well being. Because we have a lot of exploring ahead of us! We highly recommend the book but here are a few of our favorite optimizing health and well being podcasts (one by the author of Outlive).
The Drive: https: peterattiamd.com/podcast/
Huberman Lab: hubermanlab.com/
The Art of Being Well: drwillcole.com/podcast
Tim Ferriss Show: tim.blog/podcast/
And of course, drink your vitamins! Because it’s almost impossible to get everything our bodies need from food. So we fill in the nutritional gaps with AG1: drinkAG1.com/gonewiththewynns
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
We sailors and digital nomads don’t live in a world built with us in mind. Domestic health insurance doesn’t work abroad and while some countries may have universal health coverage for their citizens, that doesn’t mean they will fit the bill for us travelers (in most cases, they won’t). Even if you are lucky enough to be a citizen of a country with a good health program, it won’t do you any good if you aren’t in your home country.
Thankfully, there are plans tailored for all types of traveling lifestyles. And we are not talking about old-school travelers’ insurance aimed at the typical vacationer. We’re talking legit global health plans for full time travelers and expats.
In 2022 I had my first surgery in a foreign country and filed my first claim with my international health insurance. So, right after that, it felt like a good time to cover the subject of healthcare abroad. The costs, quality of care, and in general share what we’ve learned over the years from our smattering of global medical experiences.
