Between the opportunities and adventures, a personal space to reflect on life’s small challenges and circumstances. This is my time to reflect on the last month, a more opinionated and personal account that provides an insight into my life as the author and content creator at Comfortably Adventurous. A little more free spirited, a little less rigid. I hope you feel invited in and welcome in the months ahead.
November was an interesting month, notable for one particular convention that fulfilled a long held ambition of mine and was an interesting experience in itself. Life, continued to feel a little uncertain with no great desire to plan for the long term in a continually fluid environment. Despite a great desire to hope next year will be different, this month, it was more of the same but with a few positive highlights that created new memories. The highlight, of course meeting two Captains from the Star Trek franchise who attended the first official European Star Trek convention after the Pandemic. A little smaller than intended with fewer guests but still enjoyable just to be around fans of the franchise who shared that same passion and enjoyment from this particular series. It was an enjoyable weekend that marked the end of the Convention season for the year and on a personal note, fulfilled a long held desire to attend an event themed around Star Trek.
I’m optimistic we’ll begin to navigate away from the perpetual cycle of negativity and crisis we find ourselves in though it is challenging at times to see the light through the tree’s. I try to retain a positive disposition, certainly at work, the expectations of leading from the front and exemplifying a positive attitude weigh on my shoulders at times, it feels impossible to have a ‘bad day’ in front facing management. Not in terms of results or outcomes more the realisation your colleagues will pick up on your negativity creating the impetus to having a positive working atmosphere. I hope, broadly speaking I bring the best parts of my character to my role, but certainly, travelling home especially in winter in the dark, you do feel fatigued trying to retain some spark of positivity for yourself. The things I used to enjoy and look forward too removed in the short term, even the excitement of Christmas feels jaded at present. I try to remain optimistic, but it is a challenge.
Published This Month:
Personal Thoughts
Limited Options
In recent years I’ve come to accept the limitations of living with a digestive disorder, specifically an intolerance to wheat and gluten which does impact on the variety of options I can consume although certainly there is a growing and consistent presence of alternatives in the UK market. During the festive season, I always enjoyed the spectacle and tradition of the festive Christmas Sandwich, taking the opportunity to consume and review the various offerings available, this has for obvious reasons been curtailed in recent years though certainly I did manage to find suitable alternatives where they presented themselves. Unfortunately the number of companies offering a Gluten Free alternative has reduced over the last year or so with a limited variety on offer from those that do. It was heartening to see certain stores and companies that have no alternatives available release a solitary effort during the festive season, you do hope they maintain this effort moving forward.
This isn’t a point to name and shame companies or to express a sense of entitlement, given my degree in economics I have an understanding of market economies and accept producing a viable and affordable alternative in mass production is prohibitive given the perceived levels of demand to the cost of supply. That said, on a personal level, it is frustrating to be constrained to this extent in what I can consume and enjoy. It makes activities like conventions a logistical challenge, attending the weekend at the Excel in London at Star Trek in November without a single Gluten Free option made it an exercise in attrition in part. I managed to get through the weekend away from home, but I was desperately hungry when I got home and there in lies the fear of living with IBS, that dread of consuming something that triggers you and its a very unpleasant situation to say the least.
And here is the part you would imagine companies would take notice of. For the most part, digestive conditions start to emerge the older you get as your body slows down a step and struggles to process certain food groups. Equally, and most importantly at that point you do have a larger disposable income and predication to actually eat out more and enjoy the variety of alternative food options available. I’ve made a point to highlight and champion a number of companies around the UK I have been fortunate to visit with my partner that offer either a substantial or entire Gluten Free menu. It does require some effort but I will gladly highlight and shout about these establishments as they make a real difference in the lives of those who need their services. Even countries you would imagine would struggle with this concept are a step ahead of us, Rome has an amazing variety of Gluten Free pasta and pizza alternatives that made visiting the Eternal City an absolute delight. The gelato is delicious to, especially the apple flavoured sorbet.
Those who suffer from Coeliac will travel to be able to enjoy a Gluten Free menu, you can’t begin to imagine the difference it makes actually being able to enjoy eating food without the fear of IBS presenting itself. On a personal level, and I guess summarising where I started with this reflection, for me, it’s just having the option, one single solitary sandwich that I can actually eat and feel confident it wont turn my stomach ten minutes later. And unfortunately, at home in the UK anyway, more and more companies that cater and provide food to those on the go are ignoring this market entirely. Removing alternatives that were readily available only a year or two ago. Perhaps it’s a supply side issue as a consequence of the global pandemic, that’s a concession I’ll raise on their behalf but it’s really not difficult today with cheap, affordable flour alternatives to make at least one alternative. I honestly believe it comes down to short sighted economics, unfortunately the unpleasant side of capitalism. And I’m genuinely grateful the nations favourite retailer is putting nearly every supermarket brand to shame.
Serenity in Nature
I’ve long enjoyed visiting the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, a tranquil island of serenity and beauty in the heart of the Capital. It is a majestic, beautiful open space in London to walk around that affords views of the some of the most stunning, vibrant colours in Autumn. I was fortunate to have a break from work coinciding with a glorious spell of sunshine that provided an ideal opportunity to visit the gardens during the day to walk and enjoy the gardens with my mother. I rarely manage to visit during the Winter months, usually attending the annual Christmas at Kew event at night and seeing the amazing lights and colours but little of the late Autumnal foliage in the sun. It really is spectacular to see the variety of colours on show, if nature has a sense of artistry it was on full display and I was deeply grateful to have time away from working in the city to just enjoy the peace and stillness of this remarkable open space.
During the worst of the Pandemic last year, it was one of the first public domains to open to the public in June, I remember fondly leaving my home town for the first time in three months and enjoying the sensation of walking around such a beautiful location once more. On this particular occasion, it had an almost ethereal quality about it with the sunlight reflecting off the surface of the decorations in place around the gardens. Ordinarily, my only experience has been at night with the lights turned on and in full effect, a spectacle in itself but it was interesting to see what impact their presence had on the natural environment during the day. Some, a little subdued but others looking fascinating in the light and made for an enjoyable experience and one I was delighted to share and talk enthusiastically about as we walked around the gardens. I’ve come to treasure those moments, especially after the events of the last year they mean a great deal. And what better place to spend time with family than surrounded by the majesty of nature, truly breath taking.
A View Of The Month:
The Fun Stuff
Exploring the Royal Palaces
I’ve enjoyed visiting the Royal Palaces around London in the past, there is something wonderfully nostalgic and familiar exploring these historic buildings and locations in the Capital. I decided to take out another years membership with the Historic Royal Palaces, an organization that oversees among others Hampton Court, The Tower of London and Kensington Palace with a membership granting unlimited access over the course of the year. As a resident who loves to get their boots on and explore this city of mine, its a very modest sum that I’ll easily benefit from over the next twelve months. I started this particular membership in November, visiting a blisteringly cold Hampton Court Palace as it prepares for the Christmas period ahead. I absolutely adore the festive season in this particular building, they make such a concerted effort to bring a classical theme and atmosphere to the old, stone corridors and passageways. Its delightful. One of the best parts of visiting the palace at Winter is exploring the Tudor Kitchens with a roaring fire to warm you up against the bitter low temperatures.
I’ll have more to say in the coming weeks as I write about the day in more detail. Over the next month, I also plan to visit The Tower of London that I have discussed before in some detail as they tend to have an interesting and decorative style to their Christmas displays and certainly contrasts to the more modern design of lights and decorations in the Capital. Living and working in London, whilst an expensive proposition certainly has its merits and I do enjoy being able to see the city brought to life at night. I have only visited Kensington Palace in the Summer, it’s a little off the beaten track in the middle of Hyde Park and somewhat restricted in what you can see being a functional Palace and residence of the Royal Family at times. But overall there are some amazing buildings to see as part of the collection, not to everyone’s interest I’ll accept it keeps me entertained and more importantly provides a source of income to the museums and galleries more crucial now than ever with the events of the last year.
My First Platinum
I gave up long ago pursuing a strategy of finishing games to completion to obtain the elusive platinum trophy or its equivalence elsewhere. I respect those that pursue this endeavour but that sense of completion or fulfilment for me doesn’t rely on a small, digital trophy on my dashboard. But, to draw from the Mad Titan, it did give me a certain sense of pleasure and satisfaction to achieve my first, Platinum trophy this month completing a number of challenges and objectives in my Mass Effect campaign playthrough. I had intended to complete my second, alternate path over the Winter Break and noticed I was very near to completion with only a few achievements tied into the Adept proficiency. Ordinarily I pursue a Tank based approach, explained eloquently here, to this particular game utilising the Solider Class as my default approach however, in part to achieve this particular Trophy and to add a pinch of variety I created my first Adept character, more challenging in part but certainly providing an alternate perspective to conflict and confrontation.
It forced me to change my approach to conflict in this game, utilising support units to be the focal point of confrontation and relying on projected powers to give my team a decisive advantage. It did leave me vulnerable to attack but equally, created a different experience to my male character who charged in guns blazing. Perhaps there is something to be said to my perception of the gender roles in gaming but there were no preconceived character traits, I just felt like it gave the most variety and difference between the two individuals and allowed me to experience the spectrum of options and decisions available within the game. One point I did realise I have never completed the Engineer character class however many times I have played the game, it took me a while to come to terms with being a space wizard but perhaps in time when I go for the Insanity accomplishment I’ll really test my fortitude and create a space engineer to accomplish this task. For now, I sit with 2 platinum trophies, having overcome the first two games in the Mass Effect series, to my name and feel a slight sense of satisfaction at having achieved this illustrious position in my gaming history.
The Month Ahead
- Co-Op Gluten Free Festive Wrap – 3rd December 2021
- Christmas at Kew 2021 – 9th December 2021
- Waitrose Gluten Free Festive Sandwich -10th December 2021
- Christmas at The Royal Palaces – 14th December 2021
- Christmas Lights in London – 21st December 2021
- Review of The Year – 31st December 2021
A festive theme for the month of December showcasing a variety of new gluten free Christmas items along with some great adventures in and around London. An annual tradition, attending Christmas at Kew which I was fortunate to see during the day in November and excited to see the lights at night. A new idea this year to get my camera and get out and about after work exploring the city by night and showcasing the lights and atmosphere of the city after dark including some well known familiar locations. And finally bringing the year to an end with my Review of the past twelve months. Looking forward to the month ahead and the season of goodwill.
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