Here’s another story in my Women with Wanderlust series told to me by Lauren Goché. She’s an avid traveler and adventure seeker, sometimes they are klutzy adventures.

Klutzy adventures and the Flintstones

It was my first trip outside of North America and I was flying solo to Turkey to stay in a tree hostel. I was young and looking to have some fun so I went out on the town. Several drinks later I unsteadily went to sit down and my hand went into a broken pint glass. OOOOOUCH!! The glass cut me right between my thumb and forefinger. Insert more expletives here.

The next morning I woke up with a crazy hangover in my tree house with my hand all bandaged up. I’m hung over in a tree house with only one hand to use. Fu*k! How did I get up here much less how do I get dressed and down the ladder.

I finally made it down to the front desk and figured out that I would need a ride to the doctor in the next town over. They arranged a tour guide to take me. Easy enough….except he didn’t speak any English and he couldn’t be in a car with a single woman traveler so we were accompanied by his wife.

We get in the car and set off on the drive. They pull out the drums and start singing and playing and shouting “Yabba Dabba Do!” Turns out the only English they know is from the Flintstones. He points off to something in the distance and a few minutes later we’re singing, drumming and bumping along in a field. My head hurts, my hand hurts, I can barely stay in my seat and every so often they shout “Yabba Dabba Do!’.

When we got to the doctor he also did not speak any English. Through a game of charades we were able to communicate a little. He unwrapped my hand and gasped. Pulling out syringes and needles of questionable cleanliness he gave me a shot and stitched me up.

Back we went bumping across the field to the tree hostel. After we returned I realized how much I would need to rely on others to help me though my one-handedness. I couldn’t do much of anything with just my left hand. I had to make friends on my whole trip. To this day, I realize the value of making friends when you travel and I’ve met some really rad people along the way.

If you are worried that you wouldn’t know how to respond in a medical emergency of your own when traveling overseas it’s best to know the steps to take ahead of an accident.

Like me, if you tell Lauren to come visit she will. Always up for adventures with friends. If you’re in and around the Portland area she’ll sell you a house and entertain you the whole time with her myriad tales.

“I’m not simply selling dwellings. I’m dealing with people’s lives and histories and stories and ancestry. I don’t want to just show you houses, I want to make finding your dream home an unforgettable experience. I don’t want to merely sell your house, I want to make the transition to the next stage a pleasant one.” — Lauren Goché of Bluebird Real Estate.

I agree with Lauren that meeting people on the road can not only help you in case of an emergency but it can also be more fun, especially if you are traveling alone. Below is of the many tales that I tell in my book Women with Wanderlust…

Meet travel buddies while traveling

Not only have I had some amazing trips with friends and family but I’ve also met some really cool people while traveling. Wandering the streets of Gothenburg I was a bit lonely so I went into the tourist office and overheard another woman asking about the same places I was looking to visit. So, I asked her if she wanted to roam around together. In the Philippines, on a trip with my husband, we met two awesome sisters. We then traveled to another city, had some great food and shared a hike. You can also meet great people in shared environments like hostels or B&B’s, it’s often why I prefer them to hotels.

If you or someone you know could use more adventures in their life be sure to check out my book. I want to inspire everyone I can to travel more. We need more #romaingwomen

If you want to read the last women with wanderlust story it was about smiling.