Going to Nepal

Since Matthew got back from his first mission trip in 2011 he has been asking me to go with him. Truthfully, I never really had a desire to go. The idea of being away from Finley for that long has never interested me. I tried calling off our 5 year anniversary trip to New York because I didn't want to leave her for 5 days...

Well... he started asking again recently and this time I told him we would talk about it. 

Then Saturday he asked again... I told him OK.

So it looks like I will be going to Nepal this fall!

We will be gone for 21 days! Yeah... that is 3 weeks!

We will spend 2 weeks at conferences and then fly to Lukla, then start a 2 day hike in Namche Bizaar. Namche is the highest populated town in the world! This is the last town you visit before you hike to base camp for Mt. Everest! Oh my goodness I can't even handle this right now.... who does this?! I do I guess! (Side note: wanna know how many time I've been hiking before? Um like 3... We better get practicing!) 

There are a lot of things that go into planning a trip like this. And since I have never been out of the country before, vaccines are the first thing to be taken care of. This turned out to be hard then you think. I spent most of Monday on the phone with our insurance company (yay!) and doctors offices. First call was to the insurance to find out what they cover. They will cover all vaccines as long as the doctor is in network (Win!). 

So I started to call doctors offices, 8 phone calls later I am told I have to go through the health department in Tennessee. No doctors office is able to do the shots. 

That's cool... Whateve's. I'll call the health department. 

Phone call #10 made, appointment scheduled. Oh wait! 

Me: "Do you take insurance?" 

Health department Lady: "No, but we can give you a form to fill out and submit to your insurance to be reimbursed." (Win!)

Phone call #11 made to the insurance company went like this...

Me: Hi, I'd like to find out how I can be reimbursed if I used the health department for travel vaccines.

Insurance Lady: You can fill out a form from them and one from us and then submit it. But the health department is considered out of network. You will have to pay an out of network deductible and then the cost difference of the shots depending on your allowance. (Lose! - this way turns out to be waaaaay more expensive then just paying for the shots out of pocket.)

*a few minutes later after continuing to talking to the lady....*

Me: Wait! I'm so close to the state line, can I go into Georgia and have the shots done there?

IL: Sure, you have a national plan. You can go to California and have the shots done as long as the doctor is in-network. (WIN!)

So I am set on April 15th at a doctors office in Georgia to get my first round of shots! Yikes!

The next step is to get addresses (which is almost done).

Then I have to write and send out my support letters.

After that everything is out of my control. I just have to wait to see what kind of support we get for this trip!

I can't even believe this is happening right now.....