My first appointment at the Southern California Food Allergy Institute (SCFAI) was in July of 2022. They refer to this initial appointment as on-boarding when they perform blood tests and skin prick tests. The results from the skin prick test and blood test help them develop my food dosing strategy.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort which has a pedestrian bridge that goes from the resort over the street below and directly to the beach. I would like to give a shout-out to Chef Mani at the resort restaurant who made allergen-free pancakes for me every morning. The two things that I love about visiting California the most are the weather and all the amazing views. The weather there feels like fall weather year-round. One of my favorite activities was driving up and down Pacific Coast Highway which runs along the beaches of Southern California. We could even see mountains in the distance in some parts of our drives.

Here are a few fun activities from this trip that I would highly recommend.

Top of the World Park in Laguna Beach – a scenic overlook with tennis and basketball courts, playground, etc.

Crystal Cove State Park- had some nice views and was a fun hike

Rent electric bikes and ride along the “strand” from Huntington Beach to Seal Beach

Pacific City – a cool outdoor mall with a view of the ocean

In-N-Out Burgers – has become one of my favorite places to eat when visiting Southern California.

A few months after this appointment, the SCFAI contacted my mom to let us know we could schedule our next appointment, known as “Launch”, and that I would need to start eating the following foods 3-5 times a week: chicken, apple, pear, and stone fruit. These are my recommended foods and they are different for everyone, depending on their food allergies. Having to eat these fruits multiple times per week expanded my taste in fruits and allowed me to discover pears and plums, which are two fruits that I enjoy now. The reason behind eating these foods that I am not allergic to is that they contain a “similar protein” to the foods I am challenging, which just helps my body become accustomed to them.