But shes never let it hold her back from traveling internationally, and even living part-time in Rome.
Heres her story…Ive had severe food allergies since birth.
My family says it started when I was crawling at my grandma’s house and couldnt walk yet.
Miranda Mullings while in front of the Pyramids of Giza and at a restaurant in Italy.Credit:Miranda Mullings
There was some sort of nut that had fallen when my grandma was cooking.
I put it to my lips and immediately broke out in hives.
They took me to an allergist and found Im allergic to nuts.
Miranda enjoying a pizza in Naples, Italy and tea in Morocco.Miranda Mullings
Some people are allergic to peanuts, which dont grow on trees.
Others are allergic to tree nuts, which include all the restpistachios, walnuts, and almonds.
I’m lucky enough to be allergic to both.
Having a pretzel in Germany and a Bambalouni (Tunisian donut) in Tunis.Miranda Mullings
It doesnt take much and quickly turns into a life-or-death situation.
When I was a kid, food allergies among children werent as common as they are now.
It was embarrassing, but it eventually became part of my identity.
But I was desperate to travel internationally.
That was my first realization that my allergy might be an issue when traveling internationally.
Even though I had been taking French in school, many locals didnt understand me.
My Airbnb hosts spoke English and French fluently.
I carried that around and showed it to waitstaff.
It was a sweet gesture on their part, and it changed how I travel.
When I got to college, my school required everyone to study abroad before graduating.
I dont remember the specifics, but I ended up getting assigned to Rome instead.
I packed enough protein bars to get me through the first two weeks because I was scared.
TSA was so suspicious, they even swabbed the bars.
After the first week, I realized I dont have to live on them.
At first, I was nervous about showing the card, but people were receptive and restaurants appreciated it.
That was about 10 years ago, when I first came toRomefor a summer program.
Now, I live here part-time.
But I do have to be careful when I travel.
I had time off and went down to theAmalfi Coastby myself.
As soon as I arrived, I went to find something to eat.
I found a chaotic, buffet-style eatery, and couldnt get anyones attention to tell them about my allergy.
I ended up having a panic attack because I thought about what would happen if I had a reaction.
I didnt speak Italian and I was alone.
People would see me having an issue, but wouldn’t know what was wrong with me.
I hadnt thought about it before, and it gave me lots of anxiety.
I went back to my hotel room for the day and slept off the meltdown.
I dont travel by myself as much as I would like toand thats OK.
I find that in northern Europe and North America, people understand the allergy thing more.
I was in Denmark and Poland a few months ago, and they immediately understood.
But for the most part, people dont get the severity.
The thing is, an incident can happen anywhere.
When I made the reservation online, I put a note in.
Then, they asked when we sat down, and I reminded them.
I started eating and didnt notice there was a pistachio crumble as a garnish.
It created a bit of a scene.
It took 45 minutes for the ambulance to arrive since we were a distance from a major town.
Now, I carry even more EpiPensat least three in my pursebecause you never know.
Each one usually controls things for about 15 minutes.
Its a shot of adrenaline and the dosage is enough to get you to the hospital.
The only way to stop the reaction is an IV of adrenaline.
Some will talk to their chef and advise against me dining there, and that’s fine.
I’d rather be safe than sorry.
If the staff is nervous enough to say something, then I’m not comfortable.
It can be disappointing, for sure.
Its also OK for your risk tolerance to change over time.
It’s not a scienceit’s about what makes you feel comfortable at the time.
For example, I don’t eat plane meals anymore.
I travel from Europe to the U.S. many times a year.
I still feel lucky.
I know there are people who can’t even breathe in the same air with particles.
As much as I want to say its not going to limit you, its just not the case.
Some of the most beautiful places in the world Id love to visit are off the grid.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s not a risk I can take.
I love how much travel expands our boundaries and opens our minds to completely different world views.
That kind of deeper meaning is what I crave.
I didnt realize what I was missing out on until I started traveling.
you’re gonna wanna test your boundaries and assess your risk level.
Someone I grew up with also has food allergies, and she doesn’t eat at restaurants.
But you won’t know until you try and see.
