August/September TNF Food & Travel Recap

It's time for another Monthly Recap!

WOOO do I have a big update for you in this recap! I've been alluding to it a lot but there's been a lot happening in my life the last two months, and it's time to share it all! And of course, I'll also be sharing the food & travels I did these past two months and what's to come!

All of the monthly food & travel recaps on the blog can be found here.

TNF Personal Updates for August/September 2023

The big news....I'm pregnant!

Dylan and I are expecting a baby girl in January and are over the moon with happiness! You may have seen me share about this on social media but I'm putting here on the blog as well. It's official! We are going to be parents and are absolutely thrilled.

I found out while in Europe in May, specifically, at Ciro & Sons in Florence. I ate a pizza for lunch and then immediately had to run to the bathroom to vomit. I knew something was up, so went to a local pharmacy and had to ask in broken Italian/some Spanish/some English/some hand gestures for a pregnancy test.

It was positive!

We were a little nervous but couldn't contain our happy tears when we heard a heartbeat at our 8 week appointment. After having a miscarriage last November, this little bundle of joy is even more special. And I just KNEW it was a girl from the moment I found out. I had my dear gluten-free friend & baker Molly make us a gender reveal cake for us to cut into, and I was in tears when I saw the inside was dark pink! GIRL. I knew it!

My first trimester was challenging with nausea and vomiting, which was awful. I'm someone who really really loathes vomiting, but thankfully pregnancy vomiting was usually quick (one and done). However, Trimester 2 has been much better. My energy is up, and as long as I eat, I'm okay. I've had some weird symptoms like leg and hand numbness, a tiny bit of pregnancy constipation (Ugh, no fun!) but besides that, I'm extremely happy to be pregnant. I really like being pregnant, and feel so blessed to have this experience.

Feeling baby girl move for the first time was something else! Now she is much more active (and bigger!) so I feel her quite a few times a day. She's getting stronger in there, growing as she should, and everything is going well.

I'll have more to share about pregnancy and the journey in a future post!

Big News #2....I started teaching again!

After 2 years of working on myself and my business, I was ready to step back into the classroom. I interviewed at 4 different schools and had offers from all 4 (So grateful!) and ultimately decided on a school close by. I'm very happy with how it's been going so far, and my colleagues and administration are great. I teach Spanish 1 and 2 on an alternating schedule and it's been an easy transition so far. A few classes have taken some time to get into the routine, but they are getting it now, and it's fun being back! With that new job also comes better healthcare (great especially for right now) and only a 15 minute commute. I feel so lucky!

SO I've been juggling a LOT at the moment to say the least as I get accustomed to working full time and blogging full time while also being pregnant. I've been prioritizing a lot more and also letting things go that don't serve me right now.

And we've been especially MORE busy than usual because...

Big News #3: We bought a HOUSE!

After 3 years of house hunting on and off in the worst housing market, we finally found a home that checks all of our boxes and fits perfectly for our season of life. I shared the crazy story of how it came to be on my Instagram stories last week, and I'll have another post to share that in the future!

Because I'm back to teaching, this increased our pool of houses to choose from in a very tight market. So we thankfully found a place that is quiet, still on the North Shore, and in a great neighborhood with excellent schools! We just moved in over the long weekend in October, so I've been getting settled and unpacking (Well, Dylan is doing SO much of the unpacking/fixing stuff around the house!) Now we at least have a place that is much more suited for bringing home baby Fitzpatrick come 2024!

So THAT's my huge life update! It's been a lot to say the least, so I'm trying to give myself grace and slow down whenever possible.

But to be honest, I'm just so grateful for this season of life and everything happening. I'm excited for everything to come and appreciate you following along!

So - what does this mean for the blog/my business?

The blog isn't going anywhere! I'm still putting out recipes, travel guides, and resources and posting on Instagram/Facebook.

If you are looking for additional support & guidance in traveling & eating gluten-free with celiac, my support group the Confident Celiac Community meets twice a month on Zoom and also offers chat support, resources, guest speakers, cooking classes, and so much more! Our next meeting is Thursday 10/26 and we'll be doing an Oktoberfest gluten-free pretzel making class!

If you'd rather learn something on your own, my online courses and masterclasses are always available at any time and come with videos, pre-written scripts, PDF's, workbooks, and insight from me as your coach. You can check them out here!

I am currently not offering 1:1 coaching or calls. I will be taking a maternity leave in 2024 when baby comes but will have more information about that when we get closer to her arrival!

Alright, that was a big life update! Now for some food and travel!

TNF Travels In August/September 2023

Number of States Visited: 4 (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Florida)

I feel like I didn't do a lot of traveling the last two months, because so many other things were going on, but it turns out, I did!

Early in August we had some local fun in Boston including the Fall Out Boy Concert at Fenway Park. Then I was off to Florida to see my parents and family for a long weekend which was super relaxing! We finished up the month by attending a free music festival in Salisbury Beach and ventured up to New Hampshire for some amazing fried chicken (Details below!)

September was a whirlwind of figuring out the house stuff, starting school, and packing! We only really traveled the last two weekends! We did a long weekend babymoon to Cape Cod and even though it was a tropical storm, we still had a great time and managed to find lots of gluten-free food.

Additionally, Dylan and I attended the Beyond Celiac Community Summit at the end of September in Connecticut which was incredible! I did a presentation on Traveling Gluten-Free to a packed breakout room and was flattered by how many showed up. Plus, to spend time reuniting with my CCC clients and fellow celiac friends, it was special and whole lot of fun.

TNF Eats in August/September 2023

Sweetgreen: Boston, MA

I finally got to check out Sweetgreen! Almost everything is gluten-free and they are great with allergen protocols. The only item that isn't gluten-free (to my knowledge) is their bread. So I built my own bowl with veggies and it was tasty! Plus the server who put my meal together washed his hands, changed his gloves, walked me through their protocols, got fresh salad dressing from the back, and was very helpful.

Sweetgreen is listed in my Boston gluten-free dining guide here.

Overboard Pub & Grill: Seabrook, NH

A hole in the wall place in Seabrook you won't want to miss! Their fried chicken was fantastic. The owner's daughter has celiac disease and opened this place with the intention of serving celiacs safely, and serving foods that everyone wants to eat. Nachos, wings, chicken tenders, fries - all the yummy pub foods you miss. Super tasty and right off the beach too!

Overboard Pub & Grill is featured in my New Hampshire gluten-free dining guide here.

Cafe Sarina: Georgetown, MA

We've been here a few times now - the café is right next to a mini golf course and a garden superstore. They serve breakfast, lunch, smoothies, and sandwiches/bowls and can accommodate gluten-free needs. This includes a dedicated toaster for gluten-free bread (Always double check in case their protocols change), and preparing separately as needed. The last time I went I had to walk them through specifically how I needed my order prepared (pulling fresh ingredients, etc) so as long as you walk them through it, they are happy to accommodate. I like their smoothies and the ABLT with fries!

Cafe Sarina is featured in my North Shore Boston gluten-free dining guide here.

Mac's Seafood, Chatham, MA

One of the highlights of our Cape Cod Babymoon - fried seafood! It seems like there are a lot of places for celiac safe fried seafood on the Cape, which is awesome! I had a fried fish sandwich with a side salad and it was quite tasty. This was just one of the restaurants we visited on Cape Cod for gluten-free food.

I'm working on putting together an entire guide with our activities and gluten-free eats. Stay tuned!

Red Heat Tavern, Windsor, CT

Gotta love Red Heat! I've shared about them before in my North Shore Boston Guide. They are a sister restaurant to Burtons Grill, so their celiac protocols are TOP NOTCH. Since the founder of Burtons Grill has celiac disease, AND they've won awards for their attention to food allergies, they get it. Food here is always delicious and service is great too. We stopped here on our way to the Beyond Celiac Summit in Connecticut and I was so grateful to have a celiac safe meal that was super filling! This was their caesar salad with crispy chicken and a side of fries. Because duh, when you can have fries, go for it!

I interviewed the VP of Culinary from Burtons/Red Heat about their celiac & allergy protocols. Read about it here!

TNF Travels for October....

Honestly, I'd like to not go ANYWHERE right now and just sit on the couch & watch Gilmore Girls. Maybe with a big glass of Lactaid milk and some gluten-free oreos and have my feet up (As you can see, I'm already doing this!)

I don't anticipate a lot of travel for October. Considering what a whirlwind the last few months have been, I'm actually looking forward to staying put, starting to "nest" and make this house into a home. But don't worry! I'll still be recapping places to visit with celiac, new restaurants we try in the Boston area, and all things gluten-free on Instagram!

Note: I WILL be attending the Gluten-Free Expo next weekend here on Boston's North Shore! Hope to see you there! Please come say hi, chances are you'll recognize me but I won't recognize you, as is the nature of social media. I'd love to give you a big hug and meet you, so please say hello!

You can read the previous month's recaps on the blog right here.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram @thenomadicfitz for updates on what I'm doing, where I'm traveling, and what I'm eating. I'm also going to do a house tour sometime soon!

Looking for more celiac travel posts?

Avoid these five mistakes when dining out with celiac disease!

Flying somewhere and worried you'll be starving in an airport? Not to worry, this post on flying with celiac disease has you covered!

Do you have celiac AND IBS? I do too. Here's how I manage both when traveling.

Get my gluten-free travel guides to Boston, New York, Madrid, Buenos Aires (plus many more) here!