Teen Traveling with School: Hotel Concerns and Meals Away

[paparenttoo]

Oh no--we're planning to do an extra checked bag. But I've not carried food before in checked baggage.  Maybe some Nutrigrain bars. Maybe. But we normally just buy the few things we need once we get to our destination.  We typically don't do much meal planning at all on trips (y'all don't throw tomatoes at me!!)

When DS had a theatre workshop in NYC for a week we had a room with a fridge. We just bought stuff for his lunch there. This summer in Orlando we bought a bag of clementines, Nutrigrain bars, cheese and crackers and wine. It was really just for breakfast (which our hotel did not include) and evening snacks. 

Mac, can you FedEx all of the  non-parishable food items to the hotel ahead of his arrival. Would allow you to avoid having to hassel w/airport issues. Can you call hotel and make arrangements so he can pick up package @ front desk?

[Mookie86]

Is there Peapod or another delivery system in the area where he's going?  For the minimal grocery store delivery fee, you can select exact brands and have it delivered exactly to the hotel.

[Macabre]

Hmm that's an idea. Some things instill think he'd need to take. I wipe down Nutella and almonds before I Put them in my cart and again before I OIT them in my pantry. But it would be easier to have some exact brands delivered. I might worry that they had just packed peanutty things. Maybe I could get over that.

[nameless]

I can't find my quinoa cake recipe    I'm not sure it would keep anyway.

Adrienne

[ajasfolks2]

Not sure of timeline and if trip is still in future . . . was recalling that the hotels typically are stingy about the dishwashing powder/detergent.  I'd stick a couple of those D/W "pod" things into checked bag . . . maybe one into carry on so the dishes can be washed upon entry to the hotel room before even used?

That way he is SURE they are clean to begin with.  Also, be sure the HOT water valve under sink is ON to the dishwasher -- more than once we have found this off so that the D/W is only washing with cold.  (Nice way to save money in hotel, huh?!)

[Macabre]

Ooh-- great ideas. Thank you!  He leaves soon.

[CMdeux]

I will sometimes saturate a sponge with dish soap, put it into a sealed freezer bag, and that way I have dish soap and a kitchen sponge upon arrival-- and I just leave it in the trash when I depart. 

 

[twinturbo]

I'm stealing that one.

I have a variant of that for soap on the go. The pre-saturated baby cleansing cloths I cut into quarters or eighths that I put in a baggie. For those who don't react to the ingredients that is.

[ajasfolks2]

*LOVE* CM's suggestion -- in fact, FREEZE the thing and then it is NOT a "liquid" and could be carried in carry-on without having to be in the stupid quart Ziploc of all "liquids" as pulled out for TSA at security screening!!

[maeve]

*LOVE* CM's suggestion -- in fact, FREEZE the thing and then it is NOT a "liquid" and could be carried in carry-on without having to be in the stupid quart Ziploc of all "liquids" as pulled out for TSA at security screening!!

It can also then be used as an ice pack to keep foods cold. I've often seen the frozen wet sponge suggested as DIY ice packs for school lunches.

[Macabre]

Great find:

[Macabre]

He'll have six epis available on the plane. I've told them that if he has a reaction on the plane that the pilot must land and they're to give him an Epi evey 15 minutes until EMS has him.

Here's what I'm giving to the two teachers going to carry in their purse. These came from the Container Store. And we've had then for ages.



If a teacher were male, I'd be using the small Eagle Creek bag with a carabiner. 

[Macabre]

Wow--booking the next trip. We are using miles for it. The team is flying on an airline that serves peanuts, so DS is flying on a different airline alone. We thought he might fly US Airways, and he is most familiar with that airport having flown it most in recent years. But using our miles, he'll be flying through a much larger airport--one where we used to live.

To me, that risk is less than being in a plane with all that peanut protein. 

But--forging new territory, we are!  I'm glad the first trip was with teachers. 

[Macabre]

DS is on his second trip. He flew alone there and had a layover at the airport he's most familiar with. 

He had two AuviQs on his person, and in his backpack had both Epi kits pictured above. Once he got to the hotel, he was to give one to each coach so there'd be backup on the way.

He has a few the remaining Benadryl strips left in the world in his wallet, along with a WetOne packet.

He knew a safe place to eat at on the way (we've only seen it at this airport, but he's eaten there a few times, and they have "no nuts" language on their menu.  It's like a Chipotle or a Qdoba or Moe's. 

Things we did to make traveling easier: 
-he took a few snacks on the plane (Belvita cookies, fig newtons)
-he took wipes and wiped down his tray table like he always does flying with us
-we had a copy of his flight plans as pictures on our phone in addition to the email. It would have been very easy to send this to someone (well, his coach also had it)
-he signed us up to receive email/text alerts for his plane status. This was just a nice thing.
-he texted us when he arrived at the gate for his first and second legs--and also when he was on the plane.
-he texted us when he was at baggage claim
-we talked about having a NYC subway face for hailing a cab and dealing with it.  His team arrived earlier, so he had to catch a taxi from his (city) airport to the hotel.
-he texted us the name of the cab company and number of the taxi (name and phone could be done by taking a photo and texting it to us).  If the last place we heard from him was the cab, I wanted to be able to trace things.  I actually told him to snap a photo of the driver's info card that you often see on the back of the passenger front seat, but he didn't see one. 
-he texted us when he got to the hotel and once he'd made contact with his coach.

And that's the last we heard from him until today, lol. 

He took portable Clorox Wipes and Wet Ones with him to clean surfaces.

He did not have a kitchenette this trip.  He took the portable packets of Nutella, some tortillas, an assortment of plasticware, and some sandwich bags/large bags/snackbags to use for lunches.

He took a different lunch bag this time, as he has a backpack that came with his suitcase that fits his Chromebook nicely.  So I bought a neopropylene slim bag. 

At the grocery store he was going to buy:
--cream cheese
--spinach
--fruit
--carrots
--paper towels (to have a clean surface for preparing lunch.


He totally lucked out, and they have Krispy Kreme at the tournament. 

I have asked him twice about food in texts.  He has not responded.    But he is still alive and has not had a reaction.  And he did text us about results. 

We'll see how things go, but this worked out well. 

I'm really proud of him.

[momma2boys]

       hope you are not too stressed out!