To Travel or to be Pregnant? How about both...

November 21^st, 2003, Upper West Side, New York City—We had walked the route several times from the neighborhood drug store to our apartment on West 87^th Street in Manhattan. On this chilly late afternoon, what would have typically been a routine stroll, on this particular day, was a fast-paced and silent journey, filled with anxiety and nervousness about the contents in our small shopping bag from CVS.

We arrived at our apartment in record time and Angele immediately opened the contents of the bag to take a pregnancy test. We had always planned to start a family in a year or two, but the timing of a possible pregnancy now was a shock to us both. Only two weeks prior, we quit our jobs, cancelled our medical insurance policies in favor of emergency travel insurance, sold our house in Southern California, sold Angele’s car, and packed all of our belongings in storage so that we could travel the world together for the first year of our marriage.

We designed a twelve-month itinerary that would take us first to the East Coast, then to South America, New Zealand, Australia, South East Asia, and Europe. In an effort to see the world less like tourists and more like locals of each destination, we opted out of the typical hotel packages and decided to rent apartments in twelve different cities for one month each. We carefully selected places where we could experience some of the world’s most famous events, like Carnival in Rio, the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, and Oktoberfest in Munich. We imagined ourselves trekking through the Amazon, hiking through Patagonia, camping all over New Zealand, and diving the Great Barrier Reef. Chris had been planning this trip for seven years and now it seemed like the dream could be falling apart in less than two minutes—the amount of time we had to wait to find out if we would be expecting a child or not.

With one minute to go before learning the results, we held hands and said a prayer. We knew that a child was a blessing and felt secure in being part of a loving and committed marriage. At the same time, we were frightened and worried about an unplanned pregnancy now that we no longer had a home, employment, or insurance that would cover pregnancy. We were equally stunned at the prospect of having to return to California only two weeks after we embarked on our one-year journey.

Three…two… one…the two minutes were up. Still holding hands, we wanted to find out the test results together. The test was positive. We began to cry. In that moment, we felt that our dream of having children had been fulfilled and simultaneously that our dream of a world tour was shattered. The anticipation of the world tour is what kept us motivated to work hard, remain disciplined to save money, endure endless commutes on the I-5, and survive the laborious undertaking of graduate school. We thought we had the perfect plan: earn and save, complete our Masters degrees, get married, travel for a year, then start a family; but not all things go according to plan.

November 23^rd, 2003, 311 West 87^th Street, New York City--Torn up with emotion, we phoned our parents to share the news that each would be first time grandparents. We hesitated to call them for two days because we were worried that they would think we had been irresponsible or would simply tell us to “come home immediately.” At the same time, we deeply hoped they could somehow reassure us that everything would turn out all right. That was when we found out that both of us were surprises to our parents more than thirty years ago and that they understood our whirlwind of emotions. That was also when we learned that Angele’s parents, as new immigrants to the U.S., survived pregnancy without insurance in a country unfamiliar to them and that Chris’ parents traveled safely through Europe while expecting. Finally, a glimmer of hope!

December 2^nd, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York City—Sitting in the grey and blue waiting room of the OBGYN’s office, we were relieved to have found a well respected doctor based on a recommendation from Chris’ aunt. We were still concerned that our only insurance at this point was a travel insurance policy that would not cover this doctor’s visit or the rest of Angele’s prenatal care, but we decided to tackle one issue at a time. At the appointment, Angele would have the opportunity to receive a physical exam, blood tests, and a referral for an ultrasound, as well as get a medical practitioner’s advice about traveling while pregnant.

By the end of the appointment, the doctor confidently assessed that Angele was in very good health, the pregnancy was an uncomplicated one, and most surprisingly, that we could continue to travel up until the beginning of the seventh month. As long as we made sure to receive consistent pre-natal care abroad and opt out of trips to disease-infected regions like the Amazon, the doctor felt it was safe to continue on our world tour.

Desperate for comprehensive insurance, we contacted Angele’s former employer to inquire about qualifying for COBRA, even though it had been one month since Angele left her job. When Angele spoke to the human resources department at her former employer, they assured her that she could still elect COBRA coverage and that it would cover the pregnancy and a portion of international care.

Where there is a will, there is a way to fulfill your dreams.

December 6^th, 2003, Buenos Aires, Argentina—Our Aerolineas Argentinas flight landed safely in Buenos Aires. We had left the snow covered streets of New York behind us and now we were ready to experience summer in the Southern Hemisphere. This was our second stop of our World Tour which would end up including Argentina, Chile, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, France and Malta.

At any time during our travels, we were prepared to return to California should there be any concern for the health of the baby, but each of our monthly prenatal appointments ended with a clearance to continue on our journey. Through referrals from doctors and locals, we located English-speaking OBGYN’s in each country we visited, and received excellent care. In contrast to North America, the South American doctors in particular, made a concentrated effort to spend as much time consulting with us as possible. Not once did we feel that our prenatal care was inferior to the care in the States and as a result, we felt reassured to continue traveling.

In those six and a half months, we explored the Argentine Falls of Iguazu, roamed Chile’s Atacama Desert, danced at Brazil’s Carnival celebrations, drove a motor home through New Zealand’s back country, visited Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and marveled at Monet’s Water Lily Gardens in Giverny. By the end of our stay in France, Angele was at the end of her sixth month of pregnancy and both she and the baby were still as healthy as ever. Of course, following the doctors’ orders, it was time for us to settle down during the last trimester.

May 17^th, 2004, Malta (Europe)—In lieu of flying onto South East Asia, we decided to fly to Europe, where Angele’s parents have a summer home. We plan to have the baby in the Mediterranean archipelago of Malta where Angele’s parents grew up. As we prepare for our first child, we are evaluating whether this is a place where we could even live for a few years. With Angele’s dual citizenship and family ties in Malta, it is the perfect place for us to continue our world tour and still be able to have our baby in a country with excellent medical care.

By the end of July, we hope to have a healthy little addition to our family. We thank God for watching over us and keeping all three of us safe throughout our travels. Things may not have turned out exactly according to our plan, but now we see that God’s plan for us was equally special and amazing! Time will only tell where we will end up next...

Pictures of Angele's Pregnancy