They often claim they are in the hospital and the doctor will not perform the operation they need until you send them money. They could also say that they're so in love that they need to see you, but they need money to come visit you.

Summary: Stop any and all communication, and report them, if they ask for money for any reason.


If you own your own home, or if your landlord allows subletting, renting out your living space can be a major cost-saver. If you're lucky, you can rent the use of your car as well for an extra charge. Look into house swap arrangements for another alternative. Check your passport and your family's passports early to make sure they won't expire before you return from the sabbatical. Renewing them can take weeks (or expensive fees for quick service). You'll probably also need to acquire a visa for each country you visit, depending on the relations between your country of citizenship and your destination. Contact the nearest consulate representing your destination country, to apply for these visas or find out more. Large banks often have "sister banks" abroad that you can access your account from. Contact your banking representative to set this up before you leave. Let your bank and your credit card company know when you'll be abroad, if possible, as an unexpected expense in a foreign country can sometimes cause them to block the card. Your current health insurance most likely does not cover time spent abroad. Purchase travel insurance for you and your family, or talk to your health care provider about paying for international coverage. Do your research well before you leave, and compare several options for continuing your child's schooling. Young children often adapt to language changes quickly, so you do not necessarily need to limit your search to schools that teach in their native language. Start taking language lessons or listening to audio language lessons as soon as you can, and stick with it. Talk to native speakers or watch films with subtitles as well, since regular conversation is always faster and harder to follow than lessons. Every location has its quirks, dangers, and opportunities. Discovering them is part of the fun, but if you can find out some of them in advance, you can save yourself a lot of headaches. If you don't know anyone who's been personally, join an online travel forum, look for public events in the local immigrant community, or contact someone in the organization you'll be working with.

Summary: Rent out your home and car. Get your passports and visas. Find out how to access your bank account. Get health insurance. Look into schools if you have children. Learn the language, if necessary. Talk to someone who's lived there.


The sole saver is the flat piece on the bottom of the shoe. Keep the sole savers in place when you want your shoes to operate like regular shoes, but when you're ready to roll, pop them out. You should hear a click when heels are popped in all the way. You may want to stomp down on each wheel just to be safe. Look for a somewhat sloping, smooth area, but not too steep. A sidewalk, hallway or road works well. Avoid streets with car traffic or areas with lots of cracks, stones or other obstacles on the ground.

Summary: Use your Heely tool to pop out your sole savers. Pop in your wheels. Find a good place to practice.


If you have any reason to think you may have salpingitis (or pelvic inflammatory disease or another reproductive ailment), you should see a gynecologist as soon as possible. Provide a complete medical history and a detailed account of your symptoms. Your gynecologist will probably start by performing a standard pelvic exam to check for abnormal discharge, pain or tenderness, and other signs of inflammation. He or she will use a speculum to view the cervix and may perform a pap test to check for signs of cervical cancer. Your doctor may want to check your blood for various indicators of infection. A white blood cell count, for example, will help determine whether infection is present. Individual circumstances vary, but your doctor may want to perform other diagnostic tests. He or she may test your urine, for example, or perform other tests to view your reproductive organs. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and the results of other tests, your doctor may recommend laparoscopy – a medical procedure in which a device is inserted into the fallopian tubes through an abdominal incision. A laparoscopy will allow your doctor to see the fallopian tubes in detail. If your doctor decides that your fallopian tubes are infected and inflamed, he or she will diagnose you with salpingitis. If possible, he or she should determine the cause. Salpingitis is further divided into two basic categories: acute and chronic.  Acute salpingitis is a more severe attack, in which the fallopian tubes become swollen and inflamed; they may secrete fluid and stick to the intestines or other organs, and they may fill with pus. Chronic salpingitis is a lower-level inflammation, which often follows an acute episode. The infection is milder, but it also lasts longer. Some women are mistakenly diagnosed with cysts, endometriosis, or other problems before it becomes clear that the fallopian tubes are inflamed. You may have to be persistent. If your doctor thinks you have something else, but you doubt the diagnosis (or still have symptoms after treatment), get a second opinion.
Summary: Make an appointment with your gynecologist. Have a pelvic exam. Get blood work. Pursue other testing recommended by your doctor. Consider laparoscopy. Get a specific diagnosis. Understand that it can sometimes be difficult to accurately diagnose salpingitis.