No gluten-free food, no problem!
The attitude of working around limitations of life
A new restaurant opened up close to my place. Interestingly, it works as a coffee shop until 3pm, and reopens as a restaurant at 4pm.
Naturally, I was excited to have a specialty coffee shop close by. Additionally, it is great to have a coffee shop close-by. If you work from home like I do, its great to have a place to go to once in a while.
One random day, soon after the opening, I wasn’t feeling productive working from home. Also, I didn’t have any meetings. The stars aligned perfectly to try this place out. Admittedly, the day wasn’t random… it was just curiosity.
The vibe was great. It isn’t too loud, it is bright inside with lots of natural light and the staff is friendly. The ergonomics of the seating are also great. I can sit for a few hours and work without making my back ask for help.
Soon the server brought my order to my table, a flat white. I thanked her and sipped it. Delicious! It was worthy of sharing with friends. I pulled out my phone, before settling into the work, and texted a couple of my coffee aficionado friends to recommend this new place.
There was no laundry here to be folded, or the discrete but noticeable crumb from my breakfast in the corner waiting for me. Or any of the thousand one-minute tasks we do daily at home. It was easy to get started and focus.
I got quite a bit done in an hour or so before it happened. It had been 3+ hours since my last meal, and I felt hungry. Haha! Of course, being distracted, I didn’t think of it before hand. I was too bothered by thoughts of house keeping. Regardless, a new restaurant, in a busy part of the town, must have something that is gluten-free, eh?
Armed with my positive attitude, I walked to the register once again. I told them about my dietary needs and asked for any food items that fit the needs. Alas! Nothing.
I wasn’t surprised, just disappointed.
The good thing, though, is that I can drink all coffee drinks here without worrying. The only limitation this adds is that: I can’t stay for more than a couple hours, unless I come right after a meal. In a way, that forces me to get my work done more quickly and stay focused before my battery runs out. :D
Thanks for reading!
A final note: I don’t expect the world to change for me. I am just sharing my experience in it. It’s not my cafe to change the menu, or decide how to run it or what to serve there. I am simply sharing how can we approach things positively. It has helped me immensely in living a full life with celiac disease. I hope it helps you too!
Finding a work around is part of life of a person with Celiac :) Life finds different ways to make itself more interesting. It’s like a being in a game of finding solutions, we better enjoy every bit of it, as it is :)