Ask Us Anything: What's Our Least Favorite Foreign Cuisine? What American Foods Do We Miss? Did Genki Pay Out?

Plus, what has travel taught us about ourselves? And do we ever do organized tours?

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This is a regular column where we answer your travel-related questions. If you ask nicely, we might even answer your non-travel-related ones too!

Have a question for a future column? Ask it here.

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Brent recently had a bad experience with a kidney stone in Norway. How did your travel insurance work? Did they pay out? — Gordo

Good question!

Regular readers know that we’ve recently been endorsing Genki, a relatively new travel and international health insurance company that caters to nomads. This is based on my research: their products seemed far superior to their competitors SafetyWing and World Nomads (the latter of which I do not recommend at all).

Michael and I have been with Genki for a year and a half now, paying $168 USD a month total for both of us. But this isn’t the first time we’ve made claims. In Spain in March, I had a pre-cancerous spot removed (and was promptly reimbursed $105 after my $54 deductible). And in Turkey in May, Michael had a similar but more serious spot removed via surgery, and that bill, almost $1000, was also paid in full (minus the $54 deductible).

But how did payment for the treatment of my kidney stone go?

My initial treatment took place in the medical center on board the Princess Caribbean cruise ship, and they did not offer us the option of giving them insurance information. I was in the center for about two hours, and I received an examination, an IV drip, and several shots of painkillers, and the total cost was $1350 USD.

I uploaded a claim, which was extremely easy, but Genki did send an email asking for a bit more information. I fulfilled their request, and a week after making the claim, I had been fully reimbursed (minus the $54 deductible). However, they did pay me in euros through Paypal, which has a ridiculously bad exchange rate.

After that initial treatment in the ship’s medical center, I was transferred by ambulance to the local emergency room in Tromsø, Norway. I spent two nights and three days in the hospital and had many examinations, multiple infusions of painkillers, and a CT scan. I had a private room, but that was mandated by a local regulation that temporarily quarantines cruise ship passengers.

But at the hospital, they did take my insurance information, provided by Michael, and Genki paid for everything. I am very curious about the final bill, but I may never know that amount.

Having a kidney stone sucked, but the Genki insurance situation turned out to be a pleasant one.

Incidentally, are you looking for shorter-term travel insurance — or a policy that includes trip cancellation and other features? I have a new recommendation: Heymondo.

Oh, and there’s one more interesting insurance-related thing. The day I went to the hospital, Michael and I had an evening “Northern Lights” tour scheduled that we had to cancel. Since it was so late, they didn’t grant a refund for the $388 it had cost.

But we’d charged the tour on a travel credit card that comes with automatic “trip cancellation” insurance. Technically, they only cover canceled or interrupted “transportation,” and this wasn’t exactly that, but I figured I would make a claim anyway.

I did, and they ended up paying out, reimbursing us completely.

This was Chase Sapphire Preferred, but we also carry United Gateway and Explorer cards. Both offer 60,000+ miles bonuses upon signing up.

— Brent

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What’s something new you’ve each learned about yourself in your last few years of traveling and living abroad that has genuinely surprised you? — Sarah

I think I’ve discovered two interesting things: one about myself, but also one about the greater world. And they kind of go hand in hand.

About myself, I’ve learned that I’m way more adaptable and flexible than I thought. I’m a fairly neurotic guy — an introvert with IBS and a strong tendency to overthink everything. And yet I have found myself absolutely flourishing in strange circumstances and foreign cultures. I have never felt more confident and alive.

But this leads to my other big discovery, which is about the world. It isn’t nearly as scary as I thought.