I grew up in a family that liked to travel so I've been very lucky to travel to quite a few countries abroad. However, with the concern of my safety with my allergies it has made it trickier. As I've gotten older, I often prefer staycations in the UK but when I go away with my family, I've been to places such as Spain, France, Norway, Austria, America, Italy, and the Canary Islands to name a few. Many of these trips have been successful in the allergy department with the odd hiccup but thankfully nothing too serious. Before travelling anywhere, I always research the place, what types of food they commonly serve there and evaluate whether I think I'II be able to eat safely. I always remember to bring my allergy translation cards with me; I have one for every country I've been to. They're a great way for me to communicate the seriousness of my food allergies directly to waiting staff or the chefs when eating out. Often the language barrier can be very hard if the other person is not understanding my food allergies and dietary needs. I'd recommend always staying in self-catered accommodation as you can control what you cook, and you can make cooking part of the experience too! I know in Seville I had a lot of BBQ meats which were fun to cook outside. A place l've always felt safe to visit is Tenerife, with my family having an apartment out there we visited often over the years, and we got to know the area, the grocery shops, certain allergy catering restaurants and the locals. Plus, a lot of people there spoke English well and it was only a relatively short flight of around 4 hours. One of the difficulties I face going abord is the anxiety of flying on a plane and whether I'll be safe from my allergies on the journey. Despite always contacting the airline about my allergies prior and making the flight crew aware of them when I board so they can announce it, it still doesn't ease the anxiety if someone opens a packet of nuts or spills milk near me. It's also the thought of being far from help in the air in case of an emergency that always stresses me out. For that reason, on the day of flying I only eat my own food I've made for myself, so I feel more comfortable knowing exactly what I've eaten that day. In my case I pack my own allergy safe foods like butter, chocolate, biscuits, and crisps to ensure I always have something safe to eat when I am away. I had a really bad experience on a flight to America once when I was younger because the airport wouldn't allow my mum to bring my allergy safe food for me onboard a 14-hour flight. So, I didn't eat that whole time and only had an apple from an airhostess's bag! If I'm going to a hot country, I always know how important it is to keep my EpiPens in a case with thermal lining, so the medication stays a certain temperature, and I could also fit my inhaler and antihistamines in there. I always suggest bringing extra antihistamines just in case too. Overall, travelling with allergies is possible but it's just always being that extra bit more careful, prepared, and double checking everything.
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