I love to travel, but the biggest challenge with traveling is the fear of food borne illness. I've traveled many places and always managed to avoid throwing up. In fact, I haven't thrown up since the 2nd grade.

Right now, I am living in Korea and I've been sick a lot. I had digestive troubles for the first 2 weeks I was here, and off and on since then. Because of that, I eat a lot of junk food...since I feel that I can't trust other foods not to make me sick. Every time I do try actual foods...my digestive system becomes upset.
Today for instance, I have digestive problems.

It makes life miserable, since, well, I can't sleep at night because of the anxiety that I am going to throw up...so I often stay up late or go to sleep sitting up. I feel if I sleep sitting up, I will be less likely to throw up...as irrational as that is.

Anyway, I will be in Korea for another 2 months, then a month in a half in China. I have anxiety about going to China, because food cleanliness standards are even worse than here.

Does anyone else travel? How do you cope with the fear? I eat pepto bismol regularly to ease any digestive problems...real or imagined.

I really don't want to be limited by this fear any more. But it is so hard, since I just don't know how I can face...throwing up. I know it will happen someday and I just...don't know how to deal with it. I don't know when it will happen and since it has been so long since it has happened...I don't even know what to expect or how to know it is coming.

Anyway, I feel alone and anxious here. I love traveling, but I will be happy to return to the U.S. where I feel I can trust the food a little more.