Midsummer Report

Hey world. It took a while, but I have finally recovered from reverse-culture shock. As far as I can tell, since I left there’s been some progress toward a gluten-free America. More and more restaurants are implementing gluten-free options, and the diet is gaining a lot of mainstream attention.

Poolside office...can't complain.

Although I’ve been unemployed, the last two months have been rather busy. I’ve thrown myself headfirst into writing a proposal for a book about my life experience over the last 2+ years (noticing the first signs of celiac disease, visiting doctors for nearly 10 months, getting properly diagnosed, figuring out the gluten-free diet and traveling around Asia, finally healthy again). Writing a book is a daunting task; in college, I actively avoided any writing-intensive courses. I was a statistics major by design. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy writing – I just enjoy writing much more when it is on my own terms. That being said, I’ve realized my writing needs a lot of work, so I’ve attended a few literary workshops. If all goes according to plan, I’ll finish a book proposal by the end of the summer, send a copy to every literary agent and publishing house I can get an address for, and start receiving rejection letters mid-Autumn.

Is it strange that I actually enjoy coding?

Also, this summer I learned just enough HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code to write this website. And by “learned”, I mean, “stole and manipulated source code from the Internet”, but you get the idea…it’s still pretty time consuming. The site is still a work in progress so please bear with me.

I’ve edited a series of short videos, GFNOMAD: Asia. Most of the episodes have nothing to do with gluten but instead show some of my more memorable travel experiences. The episodes are all roughly two minutes long and the entire "season" will only take up about 15 minutes of your time.

The beer you can't get in stores.

I’m in the process of brewing a batch of gluten-free beer, made with sorghum and honey. It’s a hobby I picked up last summer after I was diagnosed. If you must follow a gluten-free diet and were previously a beer drinker, I highly recommend homebrewing. It's a fairly simple process as long as you can read directions and know how to tell time. And if you're in the habit of drinking Redbridge and cider all of the time, homemade beer is a nice change-up. I’m forever grateful to the good people at Homebrewer’s Outpost, who make it easy to do-it-yourself with their Gluten-Free Brew Kits.

The first gluten free t-shirt you ever wore...

So, things are happening here at the GFNomad Headquarters. I hope everyone is enjoying the summer as much as I am. In three weeks, I will be moving to Greenwich Village to begin my studies at NYU School of Law. I will be writing for the Student Life Blog, but will make an effort to keep things updated here as I explore the gluten-free heaven that is New York City. One last thing…I'm selling “Mo’ Gluten, Mo’ Problems” t-shirts for $16.99 plus the cost of shipping. It's my fallback plan in case the whole law school thing doesn’t pan out. I'm just kidding...I think.