At home, I am very very squeamish and cautious when it comes to the food I eat. I don't EVER drink the last sip in a shared water bottle, I don't eat other people's leftovers - who knows where they've been - and I avoid food that is past-the-date. I know this sounds OCD, but whenever I imagine the possible bacteria crawling on my food, making its way to my stomach, and preparing to ruin my day/week with some e-coli goodness, I completely lose my appetite.

Ironically, one of the things I am most excited about when it comes to Europe is the food. The non-refrigerated, street-peddled, alcohol-paired food. I was reading The Rough Guide: First Time Europe and the author mentioned that he shared my germ-fearing affliction, and that he had to get over it real quick as a traveler. His recommendation - get your Hep-A shot, always carry anti-diarrhea medicine, and go to a doc the first day your stomach starts acting up. Although this advice makes me even LESS inclined to want to experiment gastronomically, I am focusing my energy on telling myself the bacteria is all in my head. To drive the point home, I am currently forcing down some origin-unknown cherries and "puffed rice cake with cheese" from a random share-plate I found over in Accounting.