No Car, a Lot of Pollen, and a Year of Sniffles in Mauritius

A year later, they were still sniffling, and they were tired in a way they had not expected.

By Neil Solomon · 2 min read

Picture a couple named Carol and Max. They have moved to Mauritius, and they decided not to buy a car at first. It seemed a sensible way to start. Then the weeks went by. Carol began to sneeze every morning. Max had a cough that would not leave. A year later, they were still sniffling, and they were tired in a way they had not expected.

One account I came across was frank about this. The person described a year that felt weary, with no car and allergies that did not let up. It was not a happy tale, and I think that honesty is useful.

Let me read it the way a careful person might. There are two separate things here, and they feed each other.

The first is the car. Without one, every errand takes planning. You wait for a bus or you ask someone for a lift, or you walk in the heat. That is fine on a good day. On a day when you feel unwell, a short trip to a pharmacy can feel like a big task. When your health is a little off, your world gets smaller, and a missing car makes it smaller still.

The second is the body. A new place has new plants, new dust and new air. Some people sail through it. Others get a long stretch of itchy eyes and a runny nose. It can be hard to know in advance which group you belong to.

Together, they can make a person feel stuck. I would not blame the island for that. It is a feature of any place where daily life leans on a car and the air does not agree with you.

Carol and Max might have this talk.

"I cannot tell if it's the air or the house," Carol says.

"Or just being tired."

"If we had a car, I'd go and see someone today."

"Then maybe it is time to ask around for a ride."

My view is that the lesson is about stages. A trial stay is a good place to learn how your body reacts and how you get around. A few months of that tells you much more than a brochure does.