Hi y’all! My name is Mackenzie Appleby. I am adual degree student here at the U of A studying Public Health and Anthropology. My love for medicine is what brought me to Ireland on my first ever study abroad experience during the Summer 1 session with the Health Professions in Ireland team!
I have been in country about two and a half weeks, and I’m wrapping up my experience learning about the Irish healthcare system, the local culture, and, of course, the fabulous food. Now, my experience over here has been mostly observing agencies and hospitals, so I have had a lot of free time to go explore and enjoy the local flavors. However, I have to stick to a strict gluten free diet since I have Celiac disease (which basically means I get really sick if I eat wheat, rye, or barley). This has led to lots of adventures trying to find places and things to eat, but the food I have had, has been phenomenal for the most part! So, I wanted to leave a few tips for anyone thinking (or worrying) about traveling abroad with any kind of dietary restriction!
- Do your research before you go. Oh boy, do I wish I had done this! I knew going into Ireland that I should be able to find food and options to fit my diet, but once I got in country I had no clue where to begin. Google and even a few short phone calls have saved me more than once from getting to a restaurant and not being able to have anything to eat. However, meals would have gone smoother if I had a few places in each town picked out beforehand.
- Keep doing what you do at home. If you use an app to find restaurants back home, odds are that it (or one similar) will work in your host country. If you look at the menu before you go, keep doing that. Whatever works at home, will probably work while you’re abroad – the same goes for the kinds of restaurants you go to. Trust me on this one. I found out the hard way on one occasion.
- Don’t be afraid to ask. Seriously! The locals here were so helpful and understanding. We’ve been in four cities in Ireland and I have not had any issues once I communicated my restrictions to the staff at each restaurant! Also, if you ask around, you may find some really cool places recommended by other people with similar needs!
- Be open with the groups you’re traveling with. This is probably the most important thing because if you feel like you can’t meet your dietary needs, then you’re probably not going to have the best time. It took me about a week to be open and honest about my thoughts on places and to give counter ideas
Those are the basic things to remember when travelling with any kind of dietary restriction. As I said, I have had some great food while in country. If you make it to Ireland and are looking for some good gluten free options, check out The Front Door in Galway or Goose on the Loose in Dublin! Both have some really great options (I even had fish and chips for the first time in forever!). My biggest suggestion is to just be open about what you need so you can have the best experience possible!
Best of luck in all your travels,
Kenzie
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Mackenzie spent the summer 2019 with the U of A Faculty-Led program, Health Professions in Ireland - Focus on InterProfessional Practice with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
Best of luck in all your travels,
Kenzie
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Mackenzie spent the summer 2019 with the U of A Faculty-Led program, Health Professions in Ireland - Focus on InterProfessional Practice with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
