The Airstream, over 11 years old now

Allergies, Airstreams, & Travel

Richard Charpentier Airstream, Notes from Rich 1 Comment

Earlier this week I attended the ThemeCo Summit.  It was the first “user group” gathering for folks using the X Theme, designed and created by the ThemeCo team.

It’s been a while since I attended any type of tech conference.  Back in the 90’s and 2000’s I went to many conferences and training sessions.  Lucent, TelLabs, Comverse Voice Mail, Sun Systems, HP, and so many more.  And when I attended those conferences and classes I always found myself in this hotel or that hotel.  Back then staying in hotels and motels wasn’t an issue, but today it has actually become an issue.

The allergy situation

Food has become a real issue around these parts.  Wheat, soy, corn, fish, shell fish, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts….you name it.  If its a packaged food, most likely there’s something in it I can’t have.  And I’m now at the point where many things make me grab a few Benadryl, and often have my Epi-Pen in hand.  Not fun at all.

I’ve only been working around the latest allergy update for a few months now.  More often than not pre-packaged food is out.  Lots of things are getting made from scratch here at the Airstream.

So, traveling now becomes a challenge.  The easy “hotel living” routine I had years ago has been thrown on its head.  Dining out is a strict NO.  Bringing pre-made meals was my solution for this trip, but that fell on its head.

My kingdom for an Airstream

We arrived a day early for the conference.  It started on Monday, but I booked Sunday just to allow for some time to wind down after the drive up.  Our room was at the M Resort & Spa, outside of Las Vegas proper.

It’s a beautiful resort.  The lights, the gaming tables, the glamour of Vegas.  Oh yeah, and their rooms didn’t have microwaves or small refrigerators……

When we arrived I asked the check in guy, Romeo, about a fridge and microwave.  For $150 a night (special rate for the conference) you’d think the suites would have these items.  But alas, I was totally out of luck.  Romeo offered to have a portable fridge sent up, but somewhere along the way that request was forgotten.

Fortunately, the food I packed along was in my Pelican Cooler.  Unfortunately, whenever I wanted food I had to walk out to the truck to fish something out.

By the way, cold rice macaroni and fake cheese is pretty darned gross when eaten cold.  Just saying…..

So on day one I found myself a little bummed out.  I thought I had planned well, but very quickly I wished I hadn’t stayed on location, and had brought the Airstream along.

Travel with an Airstream is easier

Whenever I travel it’s usually with the Airstream.  And it seriously makes dealing with my bucket of food allergies easier.  Dining out is no longer a viable option, so I’ve got to have a kitchen somewhere…..

Going forward, any other conference I attend will only be done if the Airstream is in tow.  4 days of cold turkey, rice cakes, salads, etc., drilled into my mind the need for home to follow along with me.

I felt a little bad too.  I really don’t want to be difficult when it comes to conferences, but I couldn’t attend the dining portions of the events.  Too much of a risk now.  It left me feeling like that “Gluten Free Youtube Guy,” only my issues are very real…..

Comments 1

  1. Hey Rich,

    Happy Effing birthday bud.

    I hope things with you are going well and that you are happy. We miss you, hope to see you soon.

    Myles

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