Taking Iron to resolve Anaemia

I will discuss anaemia in further detail later but first a quick word about iron supplements. Many people dislike taking them or find them impossible to digest as they are known to cause constipation. This can vary from mild to severe constipation. This is unacceptable to a large number of people as they may have underlying digestive problems including symptoms of Iritable Bowel Syndrome. So here are some suggestions about different forms of iron supplementation designed to bring up your haemoglobin levels withut causing nasty side-effects.

1. Try taking Spatone. This is water from a natural spring in the UK which has high levels of iron. It is very gentle and the fact that it is merely 'water' means it is free from artificial ingredients and certain chemicals which can cause stomach upset. Many midwives recommend this particular product during pregnancy. You can dissolve it in more water or fruit juice. It has a slightly metallic taste but is not unpleasant and comes in convenient sachets to take daily.

2. You may be aware that increased amounts of Vitamin C can sometimes aid in the digestion and assilimation of iron. One reason for this is that Vitamin C in a medium to large dose (1000mg upwards), can act as a natural laxative. Many fruits are rich in fibre and water content, taking a good amount of this on a daily basis will counter-act constipation.

3. Most iron tablets or capsules contain Ferrous Sulphate. The ingredient of Sulphur is a major contributor to constipation. Sulphur is a mineral in the body and necessary. But Sulphur in supplement form can be very tough to digest - the liver has terrible trouble with it as it exists naturally in the body and in foods, only in trace amounts not concentrated amounts. Switch your iron supplement and look for Ferrous Gluconate instead, which is far easier to digest and assimilate. I often recommend one excellent product Salus-Haus Floradix. Salus-Haus also do an Iron tonic that is yeast-free (suitable for women who suffer Candida) as well as an Iron tonic suitable for women who are breastfeeding. It also in liquid form and has other vitamins and nutrients added in.

4. Some people may even feel nausea after taking iron. For people who cannot digest iron at all - I recommend the Cell Salt Ferrum-phos 6x. These little tablets are made of milk sugar and are taken by dissolving in the mouth, on or under the tongue and are ingested through absorption over the mucous membranes and not the stomach. You take them 2-3x daily (or follow directions on container). They assist the body in making use of and assimilating any iron already included in one's diet. In other words, the uptake and procesing of iron which has been already digested, improves and becomes more efficient. Thus raising haemglobin in the blood. This method may not be as fast or as strong for some people with very low iron levels which need to be addressed immediately but it is a solution over time for people who have given up on the usual recommendations. If a person suffers from congestion and constipation- part of their underlying condition anyway is connected with poor assimilation of nutrients (for whatever reason) and taking this simple remedy is right for them.

5. Many people with reduced blood haemoglobin levels are deficient in B12. And when iron supplementation does not work, B12 injections are offered as a treatment. Having an adequate supply of B-vitamins nourishes many different bodily functions. Taking iron but being low in B-Vitamins will affect how quickly you recover from anaemia. Another common accompanying deficiency is Copper. Supplementation with this mineral can help raise iron levels. How to tell if you may be low in Copper? You sometimes get electric shocks when touching metals and surfaces.

6. If you have assimilation problems and digestive issues - this affects all uptake of nutrients. Without addressing these issues, you may continue to suffer bouts of anemia and all iron supplementation acts only as a temporary solution. One important factor in anaemia is to avoid tea and coffee in your diet which deplete iron in the body.

7. What are your food sources for Iron? The best solution is often to look to your food. Dried fruits such as apricots, raisins and sultanas. This is a good source for people keeping an eye on weight-loss and who experience severe bloating as a result of constipation as a result of iron supplementation. Also leafy green vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, lettuce. Nuts and seeds (in particular pumpkin seeds). And wholegrains such as wheat and millet.

8. Some cases of anaemia also have accompanying health issues such as decreased blood pressure,and low energy as well as poor digestion and chronic underlying illnesses. Homeopathy can provide solutions in the treatment of anemia while at the same time addressing issues leading to its development. I would recommend seeking out help from a professional homeopath if all else is failing.

More for Insomnia Part III

There are natural medicines that can be used as sleep-aids and which have a sedative effect. The following can help you to fall asleep:

1. Tincture of Scutellaria or Skullcap.
Take 10-15 drops in a little water before going to bed.

2. Avena Sativa Tincture (Wild Oats). This has a relaxing effect on the nervous system. It also has mild anti-depressant effects. Take 5 drops in a little water 2-3xdaily and especially before sleep.

3. Valerian-Hops Herb Tincture. Many people use this particular combination which works very well. Take drops in water before bed. for nervous or highly-strung people I would not especially advise you to take Valerian as it may stimulate rather than calm.

4. I would also recommend taking a Calcium tablet before bed, at nighttime rather than in the morning. Calcium helps the nervous system as well as strengthening the bones.

5. Try burning the essential oil of Lavender in your bedroom. or placing a few drops on your pillow for you to inhale as you drift off to sleep. Alternatively, you could add to some Sweet Almond Oil and massage into your temples.

There are many herbs in different combinations and brands available as sleep aids on the marfket in health food shops. Try experimenting with these. Some examples are Natrasleep, Natracalm, Weleda Sleep Compound etc.

Most of the above will provide some help and may even solve the problem for you. But as mentioned previously, it is better to uncover the reasons for sleeplessness and tackle these, as well as availing of temporary helps. For those with chronic sleeplessness, you must look at stress in your life and build strength and resilience to this on every level with the right support. Emotional and physical.

If you have tried everything and still the problem persists then the issue of sleeplessness goes much deeper and you may need help of a different kind- for that help, I can recommend homeopathy and consulting a homeopath in order to get help tailored to your individual form of insomnia. It works.

Other relevant posts:
Grief causing sleeplessness
Sleep interrupted by night-sweats

Homeopath Idol: Professor Bhupinder Sharma

Professor Bhupinder Sharma has been involved in health care for over thirty-three years; starting his career as a Homeopathic Physician in Government Dispensaries and continuing as a Homeopathy Medical Officer in charitable institutions. As well as being an educator and consultant in homeopathic medicine, Prof. Sharma has served as President, Vice-President and Secretary in various homeopathic associations. He is an active member of the health care community in Etobicoke and Brampton, having organized international conferences, seminars and public awareness meetings on health topics relating to homeopathy. Prof. Sharma has recently been appointed to the TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL OF THE COLLEGE OF HOMEOPATHS OF ONTARIO, and the Board of Directors of the William Osler Health Centre's Community Advisory Council. He is the founder of Homeopathic Medical Association of Canada.

All the best wishes to Dr. Sharma.

More tips regarding sleep (Part II)

In order to fall asleep more easily, what can you do before bedtime?

* Have a relaxing hot bath. Use Lavender or Rose or Chamomile. Drop: Vervain, White Chestnut and Olive Bach Flowers into the bath.

* Do not watch TV and most especially any violent films. It is not relaxing and it over-stimulates the mind. It is difficult to filter and choose images when your mind is tired and there are so many images coming your way. It is better to use your own imagination as You are the one who chooses what to experience.

* Do not fall asleep watching TV. Remove the TV from your bedroom.

* Never work in your bed, make calls from there. Your own associations with this place should only involve rest, relaxation, safety, protection, inner life.

* Do not eat after 6pm. Do not eat heavy meals in the evening. Otherwise, your body will need to use energy for digestion rather than rest and repair and refreshment. If you wake around 4 am or after, your liver may need support.

* Do not let yourself get dehydrated during the day to the extent where you become thirsty in the evening time.

* Do nor drink alcohol. Although alcohol sends some people to sleep - it does not make for refreshing sleep. And it will affect the morning of the next day as your body goes into detox instead of refuelling for activity and being ready for it. Some people are over stimulated by alcohol in their thoughts. If you are one of those take Coffea 30c (the homeopathic remedy)

* Try to have or experience silence as you wind down at night time. Potter around with nothing except your own thoughts, conversation with loved ones, family activities and NO background radio, TV etc.

* Do not have an overheated airless room to sleep in. Make sure that the window has at least been open during the day re-circulating fresh air. It is better to have a cool room and warm covers.

* Make sure you are warm in the bed. Coldness will keep you awake but you may not even identify it!

* Read if you like, as this can relax and tire at the same time before falling asleep. But read something good.

* Have low lighting, pastel colours, a good quality mattress. Be careful of plants, fluroescent lighting in the room. Do not place your bed opposite the door if you can help it. Never lie so that your feet point towards the door. Try to minimise electrical equipement in the bedroom including alarm clocks. Do not store things under your bed (depending on the space available to you).

* Never sleep with a mirror opposite the bed

* Take a glass of water and place beside you on a bedside locker.

* Rub Bach Rescue Remedy Cream on your forehead over the top of your nose.

* Place an Amethyst crystal under your pillow.

* 'Day-dream' or visualise nice things, special memories, retreat to something favourite inside yourself.

* Even your breathing. Make sure your in-breath is the same as your out-breath. become aware of your body and how it feels.

If you have any tips or tricks to add - why not post them below?

Insomnia & Sleeplessness Part I

It is hard to understand the consequences of insomnia in one's life. It affects everything - your thoughts, feelings and mood, ability to function, your work, your happiness. It wears you down making all problems  seem larger and more unmanageable than they actually  are. It affects your relationships as the 'negative' side of one's personality emerges because of this 'overwhelm'. Of course, sleep deprivation has always been considered a good method of torture - as the thought processes become disturbed and the unconscious blends with and bursts into conscious life, changing one's perspective on 'reality' and revealing deep vulnerability.

"I reached for sleep and drew it round me like a blanket muffling pain and thought together in the merciful dark"

Mary Stewart 

Imagine if you can't do what Mary Stewart said?

What are the different types of insomnia?

Sleeplessness can be mild or severe. Mild sleep disturbance can involve frequent waking. The waking can be as a result of physical symptoms such as the need to go to the toilet, from body temperature- coldness or overheating,  thirst, hunger, or pain, or conditions such as arthritis for example. When a person wakes too often, the length of time experiencing quality sleep is reduced. Falling asleep after waking may be difficult. So a full night's rest becomes impossible. And of course all those mothers out there with small or older children often have interrupted nights when their children come in needing company, because they are frightened or simply because they are early wakers!

Sometimes people are able to fall asleep with no problems but wake later in the night as a result of anxiety, stress or an overactive mind and racing thoughts - making plans for the next day, going over conversations in their minds, pondering a life problem. Once wide awake, they do not sleep again.

Some people cannot get to sleep no matter how they try and  they lie for hours trying to relax but becoming more and more tense, imagining what it will be like to go through yet another day- unrested.

Insomnia can come in phases - it can last a week or three weeks. For some people, it is not a constant in their lives just a temporary guest. For others, it is more serious and chronic an always an issue.

What causes it?

There are as many different causes as there are sufferers! But to name a few: poor indigestion, kidney and bladder problems, pain, illness, stress (a broken down nervous sysem) , anxiety, grief, parenting, interrupted circadian rhythms from shift work, travel, over-tiredness and exhaustion, back problems, cold and heat, night sweats, nightmares, excessive dreaming or lack of REM sleep, poor mattress and bad quality bed, geopathic stress (e.g. poor bedroom layout , furnishings and too much electrical equipment), disharmony with sleeping partner, pregnancy and the list goes on..............

What help is there?

Conventionally - for severe insmonia, the help has consisted of sleeping tablets. Or for mild insomnia the advice  "get on with it - it's not that bad" seems to suffice (usually given by a person who has never had the experience)! I actually am not completely against sleeping tablets in emergencies but it is not a cure nor is it a long-term solution. Sleeping tablets are addictive. Also, you will never dream during sleeping-tablet-induced-sleep; it shuts off a particular part of your psyche. Many people report unrefreshing sleep (which means they do not feel as though they had slept properly)  and many other side -effects such as being generally slowed down the following day, unable to concentrate etc.

In the world of alternative medicine and natural health - there are so many potential solutions.These have no side-effects, are safe to use, and address the causes rather than the symptoms .That way, you know that it is a more permanent solution. Insomnia is the end-result, not the original problem.  Be aware of the uniqueness of your particular experience  and  choose what is right for you, and understand why you have insomnia. And do not lose hope.

Here are some  tips to start with, from my experience. Bear in mind, that I have divided this topic into several posts, as it is so comprehensive. Stay connected for the upcoming posts - follow me or subscribe to this blog.  If you have a question or wish to describe your particular form of insomnia, I may be able to give you more individualised advice! Feel free to comment.

1. For over-tiredness from a build up of exhaustion, mainly physical, try taking the homeopathic remedy of Arnica before sleep. You will know you need this one in particular, if you have the sensation your bed is too hard at night-time. Take this if you have returned from a long journey (this is good for jet-lag) or have pains and aches in your body preventing sleep. It can relax muscles. Take this if you can't sleep as a result of injuries.

2. If you have exhaustion from travelling through time zones, try the homeopathic remedy Cocculus Indicus.  Cocculus also helps people who are Carers. If you are a person who has been either caring for an elderly person, or a sick family member and as a result have been very fequently up at night,  this will help you. If you are a therapist or counsellor suffering from burn-out, you should consider this. If you are a nurse working night shifts this will also be useful. This remedy is for people who consider others' needs before their own and are now running out of steam.  If your job involves shift work and you cannot readjust to normal hours -then try this.

3. If you have weak kidneys which involve getting up at night to urinate ad thus interrupting your sleep, there are a number of options homeopathically (especially regarding women). So I will give you some herbal recommendations instead. To strengthen your kidneys and reduce the frequency of urging: try taking Berberis 6x 1-2xdaily for a month. Alternatively, use Bioforce Solidago every day. For men whose sleep disturbance from needing to urinate is a result of prostate problems - take the herb Saw Palmetto. This is very effective.

4. If you find it difficult to sleep from an over-active, over alert mind, with many thoughts jumbling around take the homeopathic remedy made from coffee - Coffea Tosta. You know how you feel after drinking coffee? Well some people feel this way after lying down in bed! This will also come in handy if you feel over-stimulated in your thoughts by alcohol, or have had an adrenaline rush from being excited about work or any projects, or over-stimulation as result of being happy and excited. And most obviously, this remedy will help people who have drunk alot of coffee during the day just to keep going but find then they cannot then relax and are caught in a vicious cycle.

Another remedy for too many thoughts keeping one awake is the Bach Flower Remedy: White Chestnut. Measure 4 drops into a glass of water and drink before bed and during the night if necessary. (Have a look at my bookshop for suggestions of how to educate yourself and self-prescribe Bach Flower Remedies. It is easy and you need no qualifications except the wish to help yourself!)

My heart goes out to anyone whose life is affected by insomnia and I hope you will find this useful and reassuring. More to come........

"Oh Sleep! It is a gentle thing           

Beloved from pole to pole "

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

What to do when you have a fall?

The whole of  Ireland is experiencing a cold snap not seen for over 50 years. Snow and ice everywhere. And also many injuries from slipping and falling. The A&E departments are under pressure. Some people can take a fall (young people, fit people). Despite bruising and soreness. Others, however, who are elderly, or who have had broken bones before or who have some struggle with walking and balance - to these people it is traumatic. One can lose confidence, be very uncertain and have to pick out one's steps going forward. For the elderly it can be a disastrous happening. Say you have a hip replacement and then have a bad fall? What if you have brittle bones, more easily fractured? If you are overweight and fall badly then you will be more likely to be injured as well. For some people the fear of falling is a tangible and horrible fear.

So homeopathy provides a miracle remedy for just these scenarios. Don't ever go around without it!

ARNICA MONTANA. This remedy will help you with the effects of a bad fall, blow to the body, injury of any kind. It heals bruising, relieves pain, relieves shock. Sometimes the shock and upset from a previous fall can almost leave you predisposed to experiencing another one. Taking Arnica will prevent the susceptibility to the same event. have you ever thought is strange that sometimes people experience injury in exactly the same spot from a previous incident?  Have you ever seen someone fall really badly and then get up and claim they are fine, they don't need any help and they hardly feel the pain? That is the shock speaking. It is only later that they will feel the pain. Especially after a night's sleep. All their muscles, all of their body will protest. However a few doses  of Arnica prevents the bodily outcry! Take 30c or take 200c tablets. Arnica will help give complete pain relief even if a bone is broken. It speeds healing and recovery.

You can also use Arnica Cream to alleviate bruising - it works wonders!

For people who break a bone or several after falling. Take Arnica. Then wait until the bone is properly set by a medical expert. Beware though of a cast that extends over too large an area. Unnecessary coverage will add to muscle wastage and lengthen recovery of the whole part. Beware too of over-long periods of time spent with a cast on. Medics set one standard parameter for healing and everyone is expected to take the exact same period of time to recover despite individual differences in bodily health.

Once the bone has been set in place, you can take the following to speed the mending and repair:

Symphytum 30c. The common name for this remedy is Boneset - and that is because this will help the bone tissue to knit together very fast indeed. It can halve recovery time, in my experience. Take one or two doses a day for 10 days up until 3 weeks. Depending on the severity. with multiple fractures - you will need to take a good bit. However, remember only after the bone is set , otherwise the tissue will knit back in the wrong place.

Cell Salts: Calc-phos. This speeds healing of bones and strengthens them.

If the fracture has been at the site of a joint - take Cell Salts Calc-fluor every day.

If in the past, you have been slow to heal, whether it is from a small cut or a larger injury then you will need to support your body's healing capacities. Take Cell Salts Silica to achieve this.

By the way, if you are interested in learning more about how these simple remedies can help you in daily life- why not have a look at this book: Homeopathic Cell Salt Remedies: Healing with Nature's Twelve Mineral Compounds

If after a bad fall, you have alot of fear of the same thing happening again and are anxious and afraid, and you have lost your confidence; take Aconite 30c.

Sometimes, there are other complications after a bad fall that have long-lasting effects beyond the specific injury. A shock to the body can activate latent illness, ready to appear as a result of genetic predisposition and heredity. You develop a complaint that seems unrelated to the event and which you have never before experienced, but which seems here to stay - like an illness. It's a "Never well since..." scenario. For situations like this, consult a homeopath for individualised treatment.

So be careful as you go, and go lightly ...but remember there is help on hand to minimise the damage as a result of falling. A secure footing gives us alot in life.

Giving up Smoking

A popular New Year's resolution - this one! And for many people it is difficult to achieve. I have spoken to some smokers who said it was easy to give up once they had made a conscious decision and through a single act of will they stopped and never went back smoking. I have also spoken to people who have done this and who resumed smoking again even years later. Many ex-smokers cannnot bear the smell of smoke and are less tolerant to smoking than people who have never themselves smoked before. But many people have a serious nicotine addiction which is a physical craving. In my experience, smokers have several things in common.

• A certain lack of confidence
• Stress, but most especially a build up of suppressed anger
• A potentially addictive personality. Smoking seems to allay the dangers of choosing other substances.

I usually recommend Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. Most people find it good but not all.

What can you use to help yourself, if you have decided to give up?

To support the body you will need to do several things.

1.  Feed the nervous system so that one is more resilient to stress and less adrenaline is needed :

Take a Vitamin B Complex from 50mg upwards +.

Take Calcium. Although mostly know for use in connection with strengthening the bones it also has a large role to play in aiding healthy nerves.

2.  Support the Adrenal Glands:

Take a Vitamin B5 or Calcium Pantothenate/Pantothenic Acid.

Take Licorice Root. This will help your adrenals but also deals with cravings for sweet things.

Take Ginseng - this will give you an energy boost as well as soothe the adrenals.

3.  Detox the lungs and clear the airways of a build up of mucus and congestion:

Take Bioforce Ivy-Thyme. this will help you to cough up all mucus and clear the lungs. Another good one is a herbal tincture of Lobelia (many homeopaths use this as a  lung support)

Another good product to ease breathing and aid expectoration is Herbetom-Pulm.

4.  Alleviate cravings for nicotine: Now, this is where homeopathy can really help you. Take Caladium Seguinum 6c 2-3xdaily in tablet or pill form. Available from any homeopathic pharmacy or your own homeopath. This reduces if not kills the cravings.

Another homeopathic remedy that is useful is Tabacum 6c. A homeopathic remedy made from tobacco. This deals with all physical symptoms arising from tobacco poisoning, which many smokers  are experiencing in their bodies.

5.  Alleviate irritability and other emotions that resurge once the smoking which suppressed those feelings is stopped. A homeopathic remedy that will give you tremendous relief from irrabitility a short fuse , becoming angry and over sensitive is Nux Vomica 30c. Take as often as you need. But try to sense when you don't need it as no homeopathic remedy should be taken routinely. This remedy has a special affinity with the liver and the nervous system.

Why not take all the three above-mentioned homeopathic remedies of Nux Vomica, Tabacum and Caladium Seg in combination, in either a 6c or 30c potency. Use the 30c potency if you are a serious long-term smoking addict. Take 2-3 daily for 2-3 weeks.

Another solution is to see a homeopath for constitutional treatment. So many times in a homeopathic consultation people have confessed with a guilty look that they are a smoker! I usually do not pay too much attention initially, as I know that when people get the right support, an energy boost and start to feel really well - they also feel an inclination to make changes. Giving up smoking is one of the first changes to make. I find that many patients have given it up, without it ever even having been discussed. For some where the smoking is connected to emotion and stress, unhappiness or addictive patterns then when we focus on addressing and providing healing in these areas , the smoking gets naturally targeted too. Incidentally, there is a Bach Flower remedy for self-reproach combined with guilt feelings called Pine. I recommend that, as these feelings are part of the package sometimes and somertimes not at all! 

Good Luck because it is really worth the endeavour. Smoking does affect you in ways as yet unrecognised. Giving it up permanently is a step towards freedom.

Airport and Travel Stress during the Holidays

I just returned from my Christmas travels - generally they passed off very well but not without the usual bodily stress of many hours spent in the airport, on buses, trains and trams. Hours spent in air-conditioned, centrally heated atmospheres with no fresh air and nothing green. Time spent under the continual glare of fluorescent lighting, not to mention engine and equipment noise. Hours spent on one's feet, crowded amidst many strangers.

So, any tips for feeling better? How do you remain at ease while travelling ? Jet-lag, aching muscles, stress.....

 Drink plenty of water and water juices. Avoid drinking coffee which will dehydrate you. Get fresh air whenever you can. Do not go hungry.
Bring a small bottle of water with you combined with Lavender and Rose Essential Oils and spray your face and hair regularly. When you get to your hotel room, rub a drop or two of your favourite essential oil onto the surface of a light bulb. When you switch the light on, the fragrance will diffuse throughout the room.
Try the Bush Combination Travel Essence or the Space Clearing Spray if you feel crowded and fatigued.
Have the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy on hand for feelings of tension, anticipation or anxiety about the journey.
Have cleansing wipes with you for refreshing yourself and for when toilet or bathroom facilities are unclean.
Bring ear-plugs with you to cope with noise during take-off and landing or any other noisy areas
If you are a sensitive person, try to focus in on one preoccupation such as reading or listening to your own music. Or close your eyes and drift into your own thoughts. But do not people-watch or observe others. And try to reduce eye-contact as much as possible during the day.

For jet-lag take regular doses of Arnica 30c. This will ease fatigue from physical over-exertion which plane travel is, as it is so unnatural. It helps aching muscles and tiredness all over. If you want, you can bring Arnica tincture with you to drop into the bath at your destination. Arnica also helps if you cannot sleep from over-tiredness.

Bring a peppermint foot cream for aching feet an obviously wear comofrtable well-ventilated shoes.

For sleeplessness as a result of the time-change, especially if accompanied by any dizziness and exhaustion, try taking the homeopathic remedy Cocculus Indicus 30c.

If you are apprehensive about the journey or have a  fear of flying then take Arg-Nit 30c. This may also cover physical symptoms coming from anxiety such as diarrhoea, butterflies in your stomach, sore throat and heart palpitations when the anxiety is severe.

For panic attacks, take Aconite 30c. Panic may mean feeling very disorientated, the heart beating fast or pounding, pale face, cold sweat or burning and tingling sensations. At its worst, panic  may involve a feeling that one is going to die.

If you are worried about germs and infectious illness, take the herb Echinacea a week before, during the holiday or vacation and a week after your return. This will stimulate the immune system and has naturally anti-biotic properties. Takeing Tea Tree Essential Oil with you is also helpful. Apply a couple of drops to a tissue and inhale regularly while on the plane to prevent bacteria being absorbed. Try to breathe through your nose as much as possible and keep hydrated. Being hydrated means all the mucuous membranes are moist and you are less vulnerable to bacteria penetrating your body.

You do not need to be the first in every queue. Observe seasoned travellers; they have learned to wait in a relaxed way. There is no need to be too early out of anxiety and neither a need to be late out impatience.

Travel light. Easier said than done! Never carry a heavy bag slung over your shoulder. Try to understand the difference between needs and luxuries. Simple pleasures are always better than quantities of goods.

Ask for help if you need it. Don't be too independent. There will always be someone to direct you on your way if you feel unsure. Although travel sometimes has its vulnerabilities and you need to be always alert - remember to trust in the essential goodness of people.

Travel can be an adventure - the journey is important as well as the destination. Notice your approach - you may learn alot about your approach to the journey of life. The earth is very much like an airpot where fellow travellers have different goals in mind.