Happier Abroad Forum Community

1. For you guys who have left the US for good how will you plan your funeral? Do you plan to have your body buried in a unmarked grave around where you live or will you have your body shipped back to the US to be laid to rest with your family?


2. For you guys who have traveled, can you travel without getting any shots? Or is it mandatory to get shots/vaccinations before you enter different countries?

As a traveler, you're not required to get shots or show proof of shots. There are only a few rare exceptions. Certain parts of the world require yellow fever shots.

If you plan to study abroad, there will be requirements on vaccinations (varies by country and school).

Northamericanguy wrote:1. For you guys who have left the US for good how will you plan your funeral? Do you plan to have your body buried in a unmarked grave around where you live or will you have your body shipped back to the US to be laid to rest with your family?


2. For you guys who have traveled, can you travel without getting any shots? Or is it mandatory to get shots/vaccinations before you enter different countries?

1. No, I won't bother to ship my body anywhere. The locals can do whatever is easiest/cheapest for them. As my body won't be in America, I'll be happy.

2. No, most countries don't require you to have any vaccinations, but sometimes it's a good idea to get some vaccinations before going to certain countries. There are websites which list the recommended vaccinations for each country.

1. I'm dead. I don't care what happens after that.

2. I never had to get any shots, and will not enter a place that asks me to do so.

This may sound premature (not to be confused with what I'm about to say as being immature), but I feel that this should be made as a thread sticky by a mod.

Thanks for the replies guys!

The_Adventurer wrote:1. I'm dead. I don't care what happens after that.

With all due respect, I have great respect for my own body even after I'm dead. I don't wish to have a funeral but I would like to be buried properly with some kind of respect and dignity. A kind of "thank you body" for functioning properly for XX amount of years, if you will.

Stupidly, I have yet to draw up a will. I'll get to it someday soon, especially now that I have a son. Being Orthodox, I do not accept cremation as an option for me and I carry a card on me stating that I am Orthodox and the parish priest to contact, if I die. The parish priest (or my wife/family) will ensure that my body is properly taken care of (i.e. Orthodox funeral/burial).

I would recommend keeping a last will and testament in your files, if you live overseas and give a copy to a good friend/pastor/priest/rabbi, etc. (someone you trust). You should also try to think about having some money saved up, in case you expect the US to ship your body back to the US to be buried. It can get expensive, and Uncle Sam (the taxpayers) shouldn't have to pay for it.

Think Different wrote:Stupidly, I have yet to draw up a will. I'll get to it someday soon, especially now that I have a son. Being Orthodox, I do not accept cremation as an option for me and I carry a card on me stating that I am Orthodox and the parish priest to contact, if I die. The parish priest (or my wife/family) will ensure that my body is properly taken care of (i.e. Orthodox funeral/burial).

I would recommend keeping a last will and testament in your files, if you live overseas and give a copy to a good friend/pastor/priest/rabbi, etc. (someone you trust). You should also try to think about having some money saved up, in case you expect the US to ship your body back to the US to be buried. It can get expensive, and Uncle Sam (the taxpayers) shouldn't have to pay for it.

For a long time I wondered how cremation came about and finally came around to finding that it derived from clans of people who were completely nomadic and did not wish to leave their loved one behind so they burned the body and kept the ashes with them.




And yes, I don't see how they even charge to bury people (3,000$?) but it does get expensive. I remember I was reading an article from the LA Times about the thousands of people who die in LA and have no money or family to help with the burial so they are all cremated and their possessions are sold at auctions to raise money.

Are you guys organ donors?

odbo wrote:Are you guys organ donors?

Negative

Northamericanguy wrote:

odbo wrote:Are you guys organ donors?

Negative

One day the U.S. of Gay gov't may pass a law mandating men to fork up "organ-donor" support if the woman needs the male organ donor to pay for her treatment if she were to receive complications (related or not to the male's organ) after the transplant.