The time I got Salmonella in Bolivia

Now this is a story you will love...

After volunteering for four weeks at a hostel in San Pedro de Atacama called Casa Voyage, I was patiently awaiting the arrival of this cute Dutch boy that I met on Easter Island two months prior (which is an INSANE place to meet someone you end up traveling three months with). When on Easter Island, I gave him all my tips to explore Argentina and south of Chile, while I headed North of Chile for volunteering. Potentially, and crossing my fingers it would happen, we agreed we would meet up in the most northern part of Chile, San Pedro de Atacama. At first, I didn't think I was romantically interested but those two months apart showed me that I was overly excited to see him again.

Meeting up again was like giving a little girl a bouquet of flowers after her dance recital just so she could stare at them undisturbed the week after. Nonetheless, I was so excited to see him as we both agreed to do a 3-day road trip from San Pedro de Atacama into the salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia, and then rest at a penthouse Airbnb for 4 nights in La Paz.

The three days were fantastic! It is known that people tend to get sick on this road trip due to the lack of sanitation in Bolivia and the altitude. All three days I was completely fine. Quite frankly, others were getting so ill we had to pull the car over multiple times for people to throw up or use the bathroom.

Me, being completely fine, I chilled back, stared at my bouquet of flowers, and enjoyed the road trip. The trip ended in the morning in Uyuni, Bolivia where my Dutch boy and I booked a 12-hour night bus to La Paz. The intention and agreement was to explore Bolivia together.

Awaiting the proper time to head over to the bus station, we found a cozy restaurant with couches and stellar prices for sangria. Everything is fine, we're playing cards, and something within me said "GET TO THE BATHROOM." I put the playing cards down, weirdly felt my brain switch to "off" mode which I had never felt in my life, and as I rounded the corner to grab the door handle to the bathroom, my vision went black, and the next thing I know I am laying on the floor with a family pointing at me for a waiters attention. Unsure what the fuck just happened, I re-attempted to reach for the bathroom handle making it within gods timing of evacuating the life of me into the toilet.

"Holy shit," I thought. As I regained consciousness on the toilet, I realized that I needed to walk back out to my new crush and tell him I just fainted for the first time in my life, almost pooped my pants, was scared, and needed a lot of help. There was no room for cute girl energy in terms of the early crush stages. I walked back out to him, delivered the news, and said I would return shortly from outside after I called a friend and caught my breath.

Sitting outside and understanding what just happened to me, I felt a rush of realization come through me. I just fainted. I was far away from home, with a guy I barely knew yet was attracted to. Sitting on the ground catching my breath, I understood how there were some parts of me I was changing to come off a certain way to him. Saying yes to everything even when there were whispers inside of me that wanted to say no, trying to "care" less to look cool, and overall reciprocating the energy he was giving to look good and match his vibes. I was quieting my soul and full expression of self. It truly takes so much experience to learn how damaging it is to change ourselves for others, especially ones we don't even know that well.

With this new information and excruciating stomach pain, I decided that the only way to enjoy my presence in the energy of others, especially a romantic partner, is to show up as myself, no matter how much pain and discomfort it brings me. The guy in front of me was a teacher, showing me that no matter whose energy I was in, it was painful to silence my voice. It doesn't matter how you come off to other people in the "I don't want to be too much" way. It's times like these when we can face our truth and realize "our too muchness" is exactly the energy we need to feel our best. Paying attention to the way we feel around others, especially romantic patterns, is key to understanding and manifesting the energy we deserve.

. . .

As time went on, I began to feel worse and worse. Headed to the bathroom every other minute, painful to hold my body up, cradled up on the restaurant couch, with chills all over my body, this night bus was going to be one hell of an experience. My lovely Dutch boy carried my bags for me and I took the small ones, still causing so much pain to my body. That night bus was a trip. I am pretty sure I fell asleep on the toilet 2-3 times because the pain of going back up the stairs and down was drowning. I was so weak that even the slightest movement sounded terrible. We finally made it to La Paz, hopped in a taxi to our Airbnb and while we waited for the host to show up, I was falling asleep on the apartment floor. We made it into the apartment and I went to sleep in the cozy bed.

Waking up covered in sweat was one thing but needing to crawl to the bathroom because my body hurt so badly was another. My Dutch boy thought it was just the altitude that got to me in Uyuni but because I fainted for the first time in my life and it hurt so badly to go to the bathroom, I knew it was something deeper. I texted my spiritual healer, Hayley, and within a few seconds, she responded and said "Get to the hospital, sister." My friend, who I called the day before after I fainted, luckily sent me some private clinics and there was one a few blocks away. I told my Dutch boy that we needed to get to the hospital.

After 20 minutes of just walking a few blocks because I was out of breath, we stumbled upon this good looking clinic and I saw "EMERGENCY ROOM." I walked up to the front desk and put both my hands on the counter like a monkey about to attack what was in front of it. I told the woman I desperately needed to be checked. A few moments later, I was taken back and hooked up to an IV while they took my blood and made me do a pee and stool sample. I genuinely thought some antibiotics and a liquid IV would send me on my way. Falling in and out of sleep while waiting for the results and my Dutch boy sitting at the end of the bed playing with my feet, the lady came back and on her phone with a translation from Spanish to English said, "You have a terrible infection. Blood in your urine. Bad bacteria. Your white cell blood count is dangerously high. We need to get you to the hospital as soon as possible to start treatment for at least four days." After translating the results, it said I tested positive for Salmonella. Here I am in Bolivia with Salmonella...

"Well, fuck, there goes the gorgeous penthouse Airbnb I wanted to hang out in with my new crush..." I thought. I wanted to be with him but my health was not up for discussion. I paid out of pocket, cause your girl doesn't have travel insurance, and was put into a room in the hospital upstairs.

But after four days of him staying by my side, going back home to get me a few things, coming every morning and staying late to make sure I was okay, helping me go the bathroom (with all the sounds and smells possible), and literally helping me shower, it took our relationship from 0 to 100 in a DAY and I was grateful for that. I am so thankful for him. I don't know what I would have done without him by my side. Aside from what I have grown and persevered through on my own, he is one of the greatest gifts the universe presented me with while traveling for a year alone in South America. We aren't together anymore and I don't know the next time I will see him, if I ever will, but he will have a special place in my heart (and especially a special place in my dads since he took care of his baby girl during this...LOL)

With Harry Potter marathons in Spanish running all four days in the hospital, being taken care of so wonderfully by the doctors and hospital, with good food, a private room, and a bathroom...Heck, it was even nicer than some of the hostels I've stayed in...I was totally in good hands.

Was it painful?

YES.

Was it uncomfortable?

YES.

Was I scared?

YES.

Did I make it through?

YES. LIKE ALWAYS.

Unfortunately, the plan to travel to Bolivia together was a bust because I knew I needed to be on my own and heal. It was hard to deliver this news to him since we both agreed we would travel together and I knew his feelings would be hurt. But if the realizations taught me anything after I fainted, it was that it's okay to disappoint someone, especially when it deals with your truth and healing.

While he went and explored Bolivia alone, and I was quite sad I couldn't keep up with him, I headed to Lake Titicaca, the Earth's Sacral Chakra, for healing. But of course, the universe brought us back together and we were able to explore the majority of Peru, The Galapagos, and parts of Colombia together. As always, if two are meant to be or cross paths again, the universe will hand it to you on a silver platter.

Looking back on this experience and the year as a whole, the universe has set up angels for me around the world. No matter where the winds take me, there are angels around me.

Shout out Clinica Alemana, y'all saved my life!

Peace and love,

Chelsey Grace