What to Do When You Get Sick Abroad (and Miss All the Pizza)

Rome 2020; I woke up in Rome this morning hungry for the first time in four days.
Which should be exciting—except we were still in Rome, and the food, at least where we were, felt like endless slabs of unseasoned, gamey meat and bland pasta I could easily cook at home… More like mildly annoying.

Expectations: Pasta. Reality: Pedialyte

The bigger issue? I’d spent the last four days battling a truly spectacular flu. The kind that kills your appetite, your joy, and your vacation fantasies all at once. When we booked this trip eight months ago, I imagined pizza, zeppole, and enough wine to make questionable decisions near ancient ruins—not sipping water and negotiating with my stomach.

Bleach: A Love Story

To make matters worse, being sick makes you notice things. Like how certain countries appear deeply committed to not using bleach. I don’t understand it. Bleach smells like clean. Bleach smells like order. When I walk into the stairwell at work after it’s been cleaned and it reeks of bleach, I feel safe. Reassured. Spiritually calm.

Italy? India? Public bathrooms and transportation that smell like… regret.

As amazing as international travel is, sometimes I miss the unapologetic sanitation standards of the United States.

I Came to Italy for Pizza, Not Influenza

Back in January 2020, we visited Italy and had an incredible trip—touring the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the ruins in person was breathtaking. It’s the kind of history that sticks with you forever.

Unfortunately, I was still recovering from the worst flu of my life.

How I Lost Weight in Italy, a Tragedy

As someone who loves to walk everywhere, it crushed my soul that we couldn’t just wander Rome endlessly on foot. And here’s the most un-Italian sentence ever written: I lost weight in Italy. I could barely eat the entire trip. Absolute insanity.

Fast-forward to now: we’re back in sunny Southern California during a winter that is far too sunny for my snow-based tourism business. No work on a Monday leaves me with too much time to think—about how hungry I am, how slow business feels, and how badly I could destroy an El Diablo Protein Burger from Carl’s Jr.

Which brings me to hunger.

Hunger Games: Big Bear Edition

Back in Rome, we learned about the inaugural games at the Colosseum—gladiators, wild animals, spectacle. Here in early February 2026, we’re living out our own Hunger Games in Big Bear Lake.

Every Monday, my boyfriend and I suffer through a 36-hour fast for “health reasons.”
Often called fast or feast—although I call it scheduled hunger.

Yes, intermittent fasting can improve metabolic health and trigger cellular repair (autophagy). Or—and hear me out—you can just travel internationally, touch one cursed doorknob, and catch the flu from hell.

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What to Do When You Get Sick Abroad (and Miss All the Pizza)

Because it will happen to you. You’ll touch a funky handrail. You’ll use a questionable restroom. You’ll sanitize responsibly and still get taken down like a Victorian child.

You were supposed to be strutting through St. Mark’s Square today in your best vacation outfit. Instead, you’re missing Neapolitan pizza, and yes—carbs absolutely count as medicine on vacation.

Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

Bring the Meds You Use at Home

International pharmacies are not like U.S. pharmacies. Don’t assume you’ll easily find what you need.

Pack:

• Ibuprofen or acetaminophen (even a small ziplock works)
• Cold and flu meds you know your body tolerates
• Antacids, anti-nausea meds, and electrolytes, I adore these Sugar-Free Liquid IV Electolytes

If You’re Prone to UTIs, Plan Ahead

Ask your doctor for a just-in-case prescription before international trips. Trust me—international restrooms are not always clean, and soap is sometimes a suggestion, not a guarantee.

Hand Sanitizer Is Not Optional

Bring it. Use it. Love it. I was sanitizing religiously long before it was trendy to carry an industrial-size lavender sanitizer from Whole Foods. Still got sick. #Memories If you are traveling abroad, take my advice and buy these Dr Bronner mini hand sanitizers and you can thank me later.

Emergency-C and Electrolytes Help

Emergen-C won’t cure the flu, but it does help with colds and overall recovery. Electrolytes are clutch when you’re not eating. I always purchase these Sugar-Free Raspberry Lemonade Emergency-C.

Rest, Cancel Plans, Be Kind to Yourself

Sometimes the smartest travel decision is staying in bed. The ruins will still be there. Your health matters more.

By the time we reached Sorrento, five days after our Roman holiday, my taste buds finally clocked back in. And thank God for that—because there was Italian wine with my name on it, and I was so ready for vacation cocktails.

Pinot Grigio, My Emotional Support Beverage

These days, back home, Mondays are basically a suffer fest. We power through a 36-hour fast, heroically ignoring every delicious thing the fridge promises us on Tuesday. But in Sorrento, sitting on a rooftop patio overlooking the Amalfi Coast, watching the sun melt into the sea—with a cold Pinot Grigio finally in my hand—I had a moment of clarity.

This is what vacation is supposed to feel like.

Not pacing a foreign apartment, counting bathroom tiles. Not memorizing the layout of Italian plumbing. Just salty air, a glowing sunset, and the triumphant return of flavor. After days of misery, nausea, and missed meals, that first sip of wine felt like a spiritual experience.

Vacation shouldn’t feel like endurance training. Sometimes it’s just about making it to the moment when food tastes good again—and you’re no longer spending your holiday on an Italian toilet.

You’ll Laugh About This Later (Probably)

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Traveling internationally is incredible—but getting sick abroad is a humbling reminder that bodies don’t care about itineraries. Pack smart, expect the unexpected, and for the love of all that is holy, bring the meds.

And when you get home? Eat the burger.