In 1616, Pocahontas accompanied her husband, John Rolfe, to his native England. After nearly a year of being wined and dined by important people, she boarded a ship to return to her native land, but the trip was not to be. Pocahontas suddenly became ill, disembarked at Gravesend, and died at age 22. Her New World immune system was not up to the challenges of the Old World. What is the lesson to be learned here? Leaving home can kill you—unless you’re prepared for what you find outside your door.
