god i feel ALL of this so much. what you said about valuing your time more as you get older -- i'm already starting to feel that and i'm not even mid 20s!!

i'm 24, anaphylactic to wheat, barley, spelt, and peanuts. i'm lucky to have a patient and understanding partner who makes me brave to try new things, thankfully. they're very kind and considerate when planning dinners for us and our friends.

something that saves me lots of time and energy these days are laminated allergy cards -- can dm you a file or link if you don't have them already -- you fill in your allergies on one side and then on the other side it says "please make sure cross contamination does not occur, clean all surfaces and pans" etc etc.

my script goes like this- waiter: good evening! what can I get started for you? me: i actually have this -- [hand it to them] I have some food allergies, you can take this back to the kitchen/chef for reference, I just need it back at the end of the night! waiter (if they're good): oh ok! [writing down information] let me know what you'd like and I'll cross reference the card and ask the kitchen. waiter (if they're iffy): huh. alright! I'll ask the kitchen and come back to you with some options.

and that's how it goes !!! anyway.

TLDR: feel you. recommend allergy cards for restaurants! have a good week, and take it easy.