It is pretty common to run into challenges when conducting research, especially in a foreign country. There can be lots of paperwork to wade through, continuously changing travel plans, as well as unexpected setbacks. Our expedition to Vietnam was no different, and it was not an easy road to get there! We had just a few set backs...

	Shots, Shots, and MORE Shots
	One main difference between being a tourist in a foreign country and traveling to remote areas to conduct research is the need for special health precautions. Because we were going to be working in the middle of the forest, there were several vaccinations we needed to get. Since we would be handling animals, many of us received rabies shots. We also received a vaccination for Japanese Encephalitis, a disease carried by mosquitoes. Unfortunately these two vaccinations involved three separate shots spread over many weeks so we spent a lot of time at the doctor's office! Most importantly, we had to bring malaria medicine with us and remember to take it regularly. All of this paid off and no one got seriously ill.
	Second Time is the Charm
	Our original date of departure was April 1, 2001. We had equipment purchased, visas awarded, travel funds secured, and some of us were actually packed! However, we found out about a week before our intended departure date that the permits we needed in order to collect and remove specimens from the wild did not come through. One good thing was that we hadn't purchased our airline tickets yet! We weren't discouraged though and immediately began planning for an early September departure instead.