There are many reasons why I love my RV. Family fun, campfires, vacation home on wheels, less packing and unpacking, versatility…
But the number one reason I love my RV is how easy it makes traveling with food allergies.
My family loves to travel, make memories, experience new places and enjoy adventure. All of those things became a little more difficult to experience when our youngest of four children was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies at the age of 1. Many aspects of our life changed and traveling was one of them. We could no long take spur of the moment weekend trips and keep our son safe.
Food allergy management requires serious planning. Planning what to eat, how to cook, how to keep food fresh and our son safe. We couldn’t just eat out the entire weekend. With food allergies of peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, egg, corn and wheat, eating out was and is dangerous. The risk of cross-contamination is extremely high, even if a food is “free” of his allergens. We had to find a way…adventure is just part of our family’s heartbeat.
Within a year after his diagnosis, we decided to purchase a used RV. It was like a gift from God. We could travel safely again.
We have 100% control of what enters our camper. We can cook his allergen free food in a safe kitchen. We can ensure he eats off a clean table (not always possible in a restaurant). We don’t have to stay in a hotel room that may have sketchy cleaning between guests (who may have eaten and dropped peanuts just hours before you check in). We can rest assured that he is safe, even when we travel.
It’s opened so many doors for our family. We can go places and have adventures. We come back to the camper to prepare and eat meals, where it’s safe. We can connect as a family. We can include our son in what we, as a family, had been experiencing before his diagnosis.
If you are a food allergy family, then you know, there is no better feeling then for your food allergic child to be included. There are so many experiences that your child is excluded from, for safety reasons. “You can’t have that, baby,” is a phrase your child hears a lot. And it’s not about the toy at the store. It’s about the food his sister is eating. Or the birthday cake at a party that everyone else is so excited to try. Or the buttered popcorn at the movie theater that everyone else is munching on.
It’s nice to make you child feel normal and included. The RV has done that for this food allergy family. And I thank God for it!
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
