I didn’t pack for a celiac vacation.
I packed for a vacation. Understanding celiac disease made that possible.
Celiac disease came with me. But it wasn’t the star of the show.
Before we left, I did some research. I looked at restaurants. I figured out where I could probably eat. I packed a few things from home that I knew would make life easier.
Not my entire kitchen.
A few seasonings. Gluten-free pancake mix. Gluten-free soy sauce. Aluminum foil. Some snacks for the car.
And, because apparently this is who I am now, a tomato I had accidentally left in the car from making tacos.
Then my daughter and I went on a road trip.
We visited a college. We went to the beach. We drove around. We talked about things that had absolutely nothing to do with gluten.
And I ate really well.
I had fried shrimp and French fries from a fryer that wasn’t being used for gluten-containing foods. I had fried green tomatoes. I had a burger on possibly the strangest gluten-free bun I’ve ever encountered — but it stayed together, so I’m calling that a win.
At the hotel, I asked some questions. They made me fresh eggs. The pans used for the bacon were only used for bacon. The grits were divine.
Then I ate breakfast and moved on with my day.
That is what understanding celiac disease is supposed to do.
The Goal Isn’t to Memorize More Rules
When you’re first diagnosed, everything can feel like a rule.
Don’t eat gluten.
Watch for cross-contact.
Ask about the fryer.
Ask about the grill.
Check the ingredients.
Read the label again.
Then read it one more time because apparently we no longer trust ourselves.
But eventually, I think the goal should be to understand why we’re asking those questions.
Take the fryer.
A common question is:
“Do you have a dedicated gluten-free fryer?”
That can be useful, but it isn’t really what I need to know.
What I actually want to know is:
“Do you fry anything besides French fries in that fryer?”
Because I don’t particularly care what the restaurant calls the fryer.
I care what goes into the oil.
That’s the difference between memorizing a celiac rule and understanding the risk behind it.
The same idea applies throughout gluten-free life.
Rather than trying to eliminate every theoretical possibility, I want enough information to identify the risks that actually matter, ask useful questions and make a decision.
That is also why I’ve written so much about real cross-contact risk versus theoretical risk.
Possible is not always the same thing as probable.
Knowledge Should Give You More Freedom
Celiac disease still matters.
The gluten-free diet matters.
Cross-contact matters.
I am not advocating for ignoring any of those things.
I’m advocating for understanding them.
Because the more I understand celiac disease, the less I need celiac disease to dominate every decision I make.
I can research restaurants before I leave instead of assuming I won’t be able to eat anywhere.
I can ask better questions when ordering gluten free instead of depending entirely on whether someone behind the counter says, “Sure, we have gluten-free stuff.”
I can bring a few useful things on vacation without feeling like I need to recreate my entire home kitchen somewhere else.
I can assess a situation, make a decision I’m comfortable with and move on.
That is the payoff of knowing more.
The science should make our lives easier to navigate — not give us another hundred things to fear.
Celiac Disease Came on Vacation. It Just Didn’t Run It.
I still thought about celiac disease on this trip.
Of course I did.
I looked at menus.
I asked questions.
I made decisions.
But those moments were a tiny fraction of the trip.
Most of the time I was doing what everyone else was doing.
Going somewhere.
Eating.
Talking.
Driving.
Visiting a college.
Going to the beach.
Living.
And that is where I want celiac disease to sit in my life.
Not ignored.
Not treated casually.
But also not given more space than it deserves.
I have a disease that requires me to eat gluten free.
I do not have to build my entire life around having that disease.
Understanding celiac should eventually give us enough knowledge to protect our health while spending less time worrying about protecting our health.
That’s the goal.
Learn enough to know what matters.
Ask better questions.
Make the decision.
Then go do whatever you actually went there to do.
Celiac disease can come with you without becoming the star of the show.
What would you need to know before you felt comfortable on a road trip without packing half your kitchen?
Want to feel more confident making these decisions for yourself?
Some celiac questions need more than a comment section.
I’ve opened a couple of 30-minute one-on-one Fat Celiac sessions each week. Bring your questions about travel, restaurants, cross-contact, research, family — whatever you’re trying to sort through.
30 minutes. $40.
Book here:
https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/fat
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