Yes we're looking at that too but so far hard to find non-smokers with no pets, but we're not in a rush so we'll keep browsing. Gives me hope that I won't be stuck in one spot for the rest of my life even if I stay like this

I travel to developing and developed countries a lot for my work.  I am fortunate that I am not a shocker, since that no doubt would put a stop to my career as I know it because the travel would just be too risky.  

It is not easy sometimes, but it's a career that I love and I am trying to not to let my MCAS derail my life.  I often have to soldier through flares when I travel and spent two days in bed on my last work trip as a result of a really bad day of travel over a bumpy road.  Still, I feel fortunate to be able to get around as much as I do.  Fingers crossed that it will continue.  

In addition to agreeing with some of the advice shared above, I wanted to add some tips:

- Evacuation insurance is very smart.  

- Extra routine meds and emergency meds are of course necessary to prevent or deal with flares, plus in case your return is delayed for any reason.  My carry-on makes me look like a drug dealer because I will never leave meds in a checked bag.  

- Many larger, better hotels these days have a few hypo-allergenic rooms.  Try to find one and ask them in advance what this means, as well as what the rest of the hotel is like.  Lessons learned:  I stayed at a hotel in Lima where the entire hotel was piped with "air freshener"--even the elevators!--and my hypo-allergenic room was the only place that was not perfumed.  I had to hold my breath walking anywhere! In a vacation rental one time, ALL the rooms had plug-in air fresheners (I think they do this in humid countries to avoid musty-smelling rooms.) In another vacation rental, I spent a night on the couch in the living room because the sheets were washed in super-perfumed detergent.  Thankfully there was a washer and dryer in the unit, so I ran the sheets through three rinse cycles the next day!  Now I ask in advance about these things and avoid places that use them.

- Especially in developing countries, be aware of the potential for road fumes (diesel makes me so sick!) and try to book private drivers in advance if you will be traveling around at all.  Developing country cities are bad for fumes because traffic travels slowly and there are few emissions controls. Plus, many mopeds/motorized bikes and tuk tuks, which kick out nasty fumes. Rural areas, especially resort areas that have a lot of tourists, are often much better because traffic is less dense and the roads are in better shape, making road travel easier on the body.  A/C cars are best so you can keep windows closed and adjust the temperature yourself.

- Large buses/coaches--especially older ones--vibrate A LOT.  If you are sensitive to vibrations, I would suggest avoiding bus travel.  Learned that the hard way.  Never again.  

- Some European countries have one or two mast cell specialists.  Mine is in Spain, though I live in the Netherlands.  He has a network of pharmacists and other doctors in Spain who have been educated by him.  If you travel to Europe, you may want to try contacting the local specialists' offices in advance to ask for a few local resources/names so you have a support network--just in case!!

- Of course, some airlines "mist" the cabin with pesticides and hand out perfumed warm towels before meals.  For this reason I bring a clean cloth to breathe through when I need to on the flight.  

For those of you like me with a lot of food sensitivities:

- Italy has the highest rate of Celiac in the world and they are therefore generally quite aware of dietary restrictions.  All pharmacies carry gluten- and dairy-free packaged foods and most restaurants in the major cities offer gluten-free items.  I told people that I was Celiac and also had a few other allergies and found many restaurants very open to special requests.  I had my first pizza in years in Florence last year and it was soooo good (gluten free, plus I scraped off most of the tomato sauce....but still delicious!).

- In many countries outside of the U.S. and Europe, food is more often than not prepared to order from scratch and with whole ingredients.  This gives you the opportunity to make special requests.

- My fall back meal when traveling is grilled chicken with rice or french fries.  It's almost universally available.

- Try to get a hotel room with a refrigerator.  Much better for storing your own food from the grocery store.  

- I always take emergency food wherever I go, especially in airports and on flights (Lisa, I traveled through Miami recently and can totally relate!).  It's usually cashew butter in a plastic container and rice cakes in case I can't find a good option at meal time, plus energy bars that I am ok with (for me, sesame bars and a couple flavors of Larabars).  I take a bit of cashew butter on the plane if needed (or otherwise make my own non-liquid plane food in advance) and check the rest, since it is technically a liquid.  

- I also carry plastic utensils in my day bag when on the road in case I need to go to a grocery, where I can read the ingredients on packages and get something to go instead of risking a restaurant.

- Ask locals about cultural understanding of a restricted diet.  A co-worker of mine who is Latin American helped to get the message across in Spanish about my restricted diet when we ate out.  He always explained to waiters that my diet was limited for "strict religious reasons."  He told me that he did this because many people outside major cities don't really understand the concept of food allergies and may not be careful on that account, however they usually have strong faith and would respect religious choices.  Interesting!

Larken