Australia

I've been very quiet lately, I know.  I was busy knocking a big item off of my bucket list.  I had the opportunity to travel to Australia.  We found out in March that Husband was traveling there on business for a month.  I took all of the leave that I have, and flew out to meet him at the end of his business so that we could explore together.

Train Station in the Blue Mountains.

Do you remember the song "I Had the Time of my Life" from Dirty Dancing?

That sums up my experience!  It was amazing!

I've been back for a couple of weeks now - attempting to catch up on laundry, work, and chores around the house as spring slowly creeps into the Mid-Atlantic.  I've got to move fast - because spring changes over to summer so very, very fast!

So, what are my thoughts about Australia?  The flight is very long.  Very long.  Fly at night if you can.  On the way out, we left Los Angeles at 10 pm local time - that's 2 am East Coast time.  Let me tell you, I was out cold before we even pulled away from the gate!  I slept on and off for a good 8 hours.  There were still many hours to go once I woke up, but sleeping for a good chunk of the trip is an excellent thing.  Coming back, we left at 9 am local time - and 13 hours later - just about the time I would have naturally fallen asleep - we landed in Los Angeles - at  6 am.   There really does need to be a better way to do that trip back. 

We stayed around Sydney and used their marvelous public transportation system to go everywhere we wanted to go.  Never once did we need a car, or a taxi.  Our hotel was near a ferry terminal and a train terminal.  Australia has a fabulous public transportation system!

The country is absolutely beautiful, and the people are genuinely friendly.  (And why not?  They live in Australia!!!!)

I'll be posting some pictures and some stories over the next couple of weeks.  I hope you'll join with me as I share. 

You know, I miss having the kids at home, but there are some advantages to being empty nesters.  Being able to pick up and fly out when an unexpected opportunity comes along is one of those advantages!

Traveling Gluten Free

Our recent trip out to Kansas City really challenged my ability to eat gluten free - and has probably been the cause of some of my recent stomach distress.  It's hard to plug into the local Celiac Community when you travel. 

I have a few things that I always take with me that I know are safe to eat.  Surprisingly, Wal-Mart has become one of the places that I can count on to find portable food that I can eat.

So, what do I eat?

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oatmeal Cups.  Most hotels that have a breakfast bar have fruit and nuts that I can add into my oatmeal.  I was able to hit up the breakfast bar every morning with my oatmeal cup and add a couple of spoons of dried mixed berries.  The days that they offered bananas were amazing, as I absolutely love bananas!

Starkist tuna in the pouches.  It's a small pouch of protein!  I depend on these things when I travel.  If I'm lucky, I can find mayo or pickle relish that I can add to it.  If not, then I can eat it straight out of the pouch.  If I can find gluten free crackers to mix it up, I will.

If I'm lucky, and if I can find coconut milk yogurt, I make something with yogurt, fresh fruit, nuts, and whatever else looks tasty that is gluten and dairy free.  These mixtures have been one of my go-to staples for a very long time.

Gluten Free Bread.  Again, if I can find a loaf, I can take a couple of slices with me to the breakfast bar and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Never, never, never do I toast the bread in the toaster at the hotel bar.  I heat it, wrapped inside of a paper towel in the hotel microwave for about 10-15 seconds. 

Actually, at the last hotel we stayed at, they had spinach and hard boiled eggs at the breakfast bar.  I made a spinach and egg sandwich with my own mayo for breakfast one day.  I really, really wanted to add sausage, but I wasn't sure if it was gluten free, and I couldn't find anyone to ask.

For dinners, we always stay where we can find a kitchenette.  Salads, quick soups, and sometimes eggs will make up our menu.  I've made tacos, and taco salads over the years.  If we're staying someplace where we can drive, we've been known to take our crock pot with us.  This time, since we were moving middle child into a functioning apartment, I used his kitchen to cook meals every night, and I left him with copious amounts of leftovers.  ;)