gluten free finds

Welcome to the first of many posts in a new series called 'gluten free finds'! In this series I will write all about gluten free food finds including restaurants, recipes, and foods you can pick up at the grocery! I love finding places and products that cater to the needs of gluten free eaters and thought I'd share the love here! Also, being a flight attendant, I have to do a lot of research when I travel to know where I can eat and/or pack enough food to last me for my trip. That being said, I figured an appropriate way to kick off this series would be with a post on why I'm gluten free and other frequently asked questions about gluten free eating!

Confession, I'm that girl who sits down at a restaurant and asks the server if there is anything gluten free on the menu. I've been a server before so I know that people with food allergies can be tough. That being said, a big thanks to the servers that bear with us! Unfortunately, the typical response to my question is, "no, we don't have anything without sugar on the menu". Umm...not glucose, gluten. Which leads me to my first frequently asked question...

1. What is gluten?
Gluten is "a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep it's shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture." I usually just respond by explaining that gluten is wheat, malt, barley, and rye. It's kind of the umbrella over the previously mentioned grains.

2. What foods have gluten in them?
Umm...everything? Haha. No, only 99% of food. Kidding. Kinda. Gluten can sneak it's way into many different foods you might not expect but think along the lines of bread, pasta, cookies, cake, pastries, gravy, etc. Anything that you use flour to make. Avoid foods with soy sauce, foods that are fried, and most broths and soups. The rule of thumb? Read every label! If it says gluten free on it then great! But there are a lot of things that could be considered gluten free that aren't marked 'gluten free'.

3. When did you start eating a gluten free diet?
About 3ish years ago? It's been awhile!

4. Why do you eat gluten free?
Trust me, I don't eat this way because I enjoy depriving myself of donuts and muffins and baklava. I love those things, unfortunately, they make me sick. A few years ago, I began following the paleo diet because my trainer at the time required strongly suggested it. I was working out, eating paleo, and feeling better than I had ever felt! Shortly after I stopped meeting with my personal trainer, I began to slowly reintroduce gluten and other 'restricted' foods into my diet. I quickly realized that gluten was what was making me sick. I wasn't super surprised by this because my mom was diagnosed with celiac disease a few years prior. I have not been officially diagnosed with celiac disease but being that the disease is genetic and gluten makes me sick, I have chosen to continue eating gluten free.

5. Soo, what do you eat then?
I'm glad you asked!! That's what this series is going to address! I'm going to talk about my go-to gluten free foods, new recipes I try, gluten free airport food, my holy grail gluten free recipes, restaurants that offer gluten free options, and more!

Gluten affects different people in different ways. Some people aren't very sensitive to it and others are severely sensitive to the point of not being able to use certain makeup, shampoos, or other body products due to the gluten in them. I would say that I fall somewhere in the middle. Most every time I eat gluten, I get sick. There are times in which I can eat a cookie and not have any side effects, but that is rare which I why I avoid it as much as possible. Also, let me be clear that I am in no way a nutritionist or professional in gluten free eating. What I know is from trial and error and years of practice! I'm excited to share all my finds with you so stay tuned for my first official food post!

getting my wings

After 22 tests, 46 days of training, 3 training flights, 8 practical evaluations, and countless hours of sleep lost, I've finally graduated from flight attendant training. *sigh of relief* It was much more difficult than I anticipated, likely due to the combination of being away from home for such a long period time plus the content and speed in which we covered the material. To sum it up, flight attendant training is no joke. But, God clearly wanted me here and I'm so thankful he brought me to this point.

The last week of flight attendant training was, well, intense. We had 2 aircraft tests, customer service validations, emergency management validations, door proficiency finals, emergency equipment preflight validations, and our final exam. It was the culmination of 7 weeks of information crammed into 3 days of testing and assessing whether or not we really got it.

Thursday afternoon was our final exam. After completing the assessment and pressing 'submit' for the last time, a wave of relief washed over me. I sunk into my seat with a sigh, realizing that I did it. I made it through flight attendant training. It's hard to explain what that moment felt like, but needless to say, it was wonderful.

Friday was a combination of elation, liberation, and exhaustion. We arrived early to the graduation venue in full uniform to rehearse and afterwards eagerly awaited the arrival of our friends and family. The venue was beautiful and the ceremony was a tear jerker. As with any graduation, we had a few speakers that motivated us to go out into the world (or sky, in this case) and be the best you can be. They spoke of our accomplishments and what we went through to get to this point.

Towards the end, we crossed the stage and were presented our wings. My airline does the pinning of the wings differently than most other airlines. Typically, the instructors will pin students wings as they walk across the stage, but we were given the opportunity to choose whomever we wanted to pin our wings after the ceremony. Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew I wanted my dad to be the one to pin my wings.

It was such a special moment being reunited with my parents and Kelly, celebrating this accomplishment and being able to finally head home!

There was a short reception after the ceremony that was catered with brunch foods. A perfect ending to an amazing morning.

As thrilling as it was to have gotten to graduation, it was also slightly bittersweet. I am blessed to have been able to develop the friendships I did at training. I've spent so many hours with my fellow trainees (now flight attendants :) studying, learning, stressing, and just living life together. I could never explain what flight attendant training is like to someone and have them fully comprehend. You have to experience it yourself...and that's what happened within my class. We experienced something together that few people understand. We locked arms when things got tough and helped one another succeed. I'm so grateful for the camaraderie our class has developed, even after 7 weeks of madness. Congrats to everyone in my class and I'll see y'all in NYC!

My roomie Ashley and I

My amazing instructors and I

Finally, I don't think I could write a post about graduating without saying thank you to those of you who stuck with me through these last 7 weeks of training. You know who you are and I praise God for you and for the support you gave. I certainly needed it! Without your reassurance and encouragement, I don't know that I would've been able to make it to this point.

Well friends, there's not much more to say aside from the fact that I'm now officially a flight attendant. Stick around for future posts on figuring out this crazy new career which will include: crashpads, navigating NYC, my first flight, and plenty more haphazard adventures.

Welcome aboard :)

the sweetest reflection

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

Søren Kierkegaard

These past 7 weeks have been challenging, exciting, interesting, exhausting, frustrating, exhilarating, and painstaking, but most of all, they have been sanctifying. God clearly ordained my coming here for his glory and my good. The temporal training I received to become a flight attendant is utterly insignificant in comparison to the ways in which the gospel was made known among this group of trainees. On the drive here 7 weeks ago, my dad and I prayed that my time at training would be filled with opportunities to share the gospel and boldness in doing so. That simple prayer was lifted up countless times from so many different people. God heard our prayers and responded. He moved in great ways here and I am humbled to have been chosen as part of his plan to draw these people to himself.

"Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!"

Psalm 117

I wish I could sit down with each person reading this post and tell of God's greatness and the ways in which he included me in his work here. Needless to say, it was magnificent. I had an abundance of opportunities to share the gospel one-on-one and in groups. More often than not, the people I shared with were open and curious about my beliefs. Few times though, I did experience pushback and rejection of the gospel. In both circumstances, God used those conversations to draw myself closer to him and to make known to these people the salvation offered to them through Christ. My prayer is that those who heard will turn from their sinfulness and repent so that they might be reconciled to the God of the universe and join me as coheirs with Christ.

"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

Romans 8:16-17

I praise God for the challenges, frustrations, and exhaustion that flight attendant training brought. He used it to make me even more aware of my own human frailty and to conform me into a closer image of himself. Ultimately, that is all I want from this life. To know him and to make him known among all nations.

"But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Give praise to God, beloved. He is deserving of your honor and worship. Give yourself to this, turn to the Lord, and allow the veil to be removed. 

learning 'the look'

I love jobs that require uniforms. There's just something about them. It makes the employee recognizable and consistent. If you've flown, you've seen flight attendants gliding through terminals, almost always in uniform and in compliance. Different jobs I've worked have required, well, less than polished uniforms. Here are a few examples...

I worked at the Apple Store for a few years which required a lanyard, an Apple t-shirt, and jeans. You could have tattoos, piercings, purple hair...really it was a free-for-all. I have also worked at different hospitals and doctors offices over the years. The uniform? Scrubs. Basically, pajamas they allow you to work in. Amazing. I attempted to find pictures of employees at other places I've worked but I struck out. Needless to say, they were about as professional as the above two pictures. Nothing special.

But then, we have the flight attendant. Perfectly polished manicures, clean updos, ironed uniforms...an overall put-together look. Let's be clear though, I'm still mastering this 'look'. I'm more of a hair down, colorful nails, skinny jeans, and ballet flats kind of girl. Heels, updos, pantyhose, and a suit? Not so much. I see where 7 weeks of training comes in handy though. For others like me who have struggled to stay upright in heels for 12 hours, we need this time to 'train'. I may or may not have a story about a time that I fell, flat on my face, wearing heels in Target. Humiliating? Yes. Hilarious? Most definitely. Thankfully, I have walked a mile home from the training center to my hotel multiple times in heels these last 7 weeks, so I'm getting that part down.

Here are some things that I've learned are essential to mastering 'the look'...

·Find an updo that is quick and easy and become an expert at it. You'll want something fast when you have a 3:30am wake up call. My go to hairstyles? A ponytail, french twist, or a bun. I also love braiding my hair back, it adds some softness and femininity to an otherwise harsh hairstyle.

·Purchase heels that are more comfortable than they are fashionable. When you're running from terminal to terminal, your feet will thank you. I found this pair at Payless for $10!! Oh...have an extra pair of pantyhose with you at all times. They tend to run faster than Usain Bolt.

·Make sure to wear a good base coat and top coat with your nail polish. When you're putting bags in overhead bins, pushing the beverage cart, and opening 1,000 sodas in a day, you're pretty much guaranteed to chip your nail polish. Not cute. I love this affordable base coat and top coat from Revlon.

·I have never been one for clean, hairsprayed updos. Like I said earlier, I'm a hair down and wavy kind of girl. But, that's not really an option as a flight attendant. Hairspray is a must. The L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray is an excellent option for those of you who need to keep your hair up all day.

Most of these things I have learned from trial and error. I've improved in multiple areas, but I still have a long way to go until I look as effortlessly put-together as the 'senior mamas' out there. For now, my hair is going up in a messy bun and I'm throwing on my lounge pants. I'll figure the rest out later :)

wait, what airplane am i on?

MD-88/90, DC-9, 717, 737, A319/320, 777, 767, 757, A330, 747. Aircraft types. And to the untrained eye, they all look like this.

And even with training, they still look like that.

That's pretty much the overview of week 6 of flight attendant training. More aircraft types, more exits, more emergency equipment. We did have the opportunity to go and tour a 777 in the hangar which was so much fun! The crew rest facility and first class were amazing! Huge galleys, lay flat seats in first class, and an upper deck crew rest? Yes please.

Flight deck fun. 

Me and my roomie in the hangar.

Saturday, we had our last customer service training flight. Myself and two other trainees flew to Salt Lake City which was such a valuable experience. Actually going through the motions and doing the job puts all the pieces together. We were even able to sit in the cockpit during the flight and ask the captain and first officer questions! Let's just say, it's a pretty spectacular view.

Amazing training flight crew.

This week is my last week of flight attendant training. Can I get an AMEN?! It will be incredibly stressful but when I get my wings on Friday, it will all be worth it.

T-minus 5 days.

luggage love affair

Crew luggage. The extension of a flight attendants arm. Many airlines require their flight attendants to purchase a uniform set of luggage, but the airline I work for allows a little more flexibility. There isn't a required brand, but there are regulations in regards to the type of luggage I can purchase. Being that I have had one cheap crappy inexpensive set of luggage, I wasn't really sure where to start. Thankfully, being at an Inflight Training Center has had it's advantages. I'm constantly surrounded by pilots and flight attendants, so I asked around. I quickly came to find that Travelpro is one of the most popular choices.

To give you an idea of what I was working with before I upgraded, here's a visual.

Flimsy sides, broken zippers, and overall not in compliance. This luggage worked for me for the little trips I have taken over the past few years, but I definitely needed a new set for work. And without further ado, here's my new 'forearm'.

A standard set of crew luggage consists of a rollaboard, tote, and lunchbox. I purchased the Flight Crew 4 22" Expandable Rollaboard Suiter, the Flight Tote, and the Large Crew Cooler. This set fits together seamlessly which makes it extremely easy to travel with. Each piece has multiple different compartments which makes organization a breeze! I love it!

Flight attendants are required to carry an Onboard Manual on every flight so that will typically go in the tote along with other items I may want quick access to. And the lunchbox may seem a little excessive, but being that I have to eat gluten free and I'll be gone for days at a time, I think I'll be glad I got the large one.

Needless to say, I'm excited to break in these bad boys. That being said, I think it's time to pack up this post. (pun intended)

service in the sky

Last week was week 5 of flight attendant training...international service week. We focused mainly on international customer service standards such as: how to serve/cook a meal, set up a dessert cart, which carts can be opened on the ground, duty free sales, etc. For the most part, it was a breeze. We had later report times, fewer tests, and light material. I will say though, there is much more that goes into service at 35,000ft than you would expect. But, we all needed a bit of a break so we were grateful to slow things down a bit. Unfortunately, this week will not look the same. We will be covering the rest of the widebody aircrafts in our fleet. As I mentioned in week 4, I'm not a huge fan of aircraft specific training, although it will probably be better than the dull less interesting material covered last week. I'll keep you posted though.

In other news, we had a wine tasting and catered dinner off campus on Wednesday which was a welcome change to our monotonous schedule. The food was delicious and real which is the polar opposite of the 'food' I am able to eat and store at the hotel (i.e. cereal, oatmeal, and protein bars).

Saturday, we had our second training flight which focused specifically on customer service. I flew with two other trainees to Fort Lauderdale and back. It was a quick and easy trip that offered so much insight into what work will really be like when we're finished with training. On the first leg, I worked in First Class and had amazing customer interactions. The customers and crew were encouraging and excited to have us onboard which made the experience all the more exciting. On the flight back to Atlanta, the captain made us stay seated for the majority of the flight due to turbulence which prevented us from doing a full beverage service. Thankfully, the turbulence lightened up with enough time for us to do a water and snack walkthrough. Overall, the flight was really fun and a good reminder of what I'll be doing in a few short weeks.

Since my flight landed back in Atlanta at 1:25pm, I was able to run to another gate and hop on a flight home to surprise mom for Mother's Day! Being in Birmingham with my parents, Kelly, and Tucker was exactly what I needed to rejuvenate me for this last bit of training. I was able to go to church with my parents which was more of a blessing than I can explain. The sermon focused on the cross and Christian womanhood since it was Mother's Day. It was a beautiful reminder of not only my purpose here at training (to be intentional in sharing the gospel with coworkers) but more specifically, my role as a woman. Praise God for creating distinct gender roles that we are intended to glorify him through.

It was a busy but blessed week. May 24th doesn't seem that far off anymore. Here's to finishing training and getting back home so I can spend much needed time with my Birmingham crew :)