Traveling Game Changers
I was in Israel for nearly a month in August/September visiting family and friends and visiting October 7th sites. It was incredibly important to me, especially as an American, to go see and be able to personally testify about what I saw and experienced.

Site of the October 7, 2023 Nova Festival.
It was definitely a trip of a lifetime.
This trip also made me really think about what my essential travel game changers are.
Traveling as a GFE (Gluten Free Eater)
As a GFE (Gluten Free Eater), one of the things I did before traveling was to find out what restaurants and stores had gluten free food. I was incredibly excited to meet Judith, from Judith Gluten Free in Jerusalem. While there I bought a bunch of most excellent bread and treats.

Gluten Free Judith!
Things I learned while traveling
I happen to be a horrible traveler. I’m completely a mess before, during and after any trip. Of course I always forget that fact, and am extraordinarily frustrated that I’m not a robot!
Below are some of the items that were crucial in my traveling, and any time I pulled them out people were like “OMG! That’s brilliant!”

My makeup travel kit has definitely become one of my travel essentials!!
Here are links as well to my Amazon Great Travel Essential Game Changers Shop, my LTK Travel Listing, and even Temu (gasp!) where I’ve curated some of the best of the best travel items.
Make sure to check out my Traveling Gluten Free suggestions later in this post!

Bonus travel picture: Sunset on Sanibel Island.
The Traveling Game Changers Index
Use these links to jump to any Traveling Game Changers advice you like!
- Updated Personal Bags
- Updated Carry On Bags
- Great Essential Travel Game Changers
- LTK Game Changing Travel Essentials
- The Amazon Great Travel Essential Game Changers Shop!!!
- Traveling Gluten Free
Updating the Traveling Game Changers List
I know it may surprise you but I’m actually off to Israel again! I need to see my babies!!! This has been a weirdly busy traveling 6 months and I found that I wanted to change things around a little bit, especially when taking an overseas flight.
My personal bag
Rather than a backpack personal bag, for instance, I’m going to be taking a smaller duffle, my Vera Bradley Cotton Weekender Travel Bag.

Vera Bradley Women’s Cotton Weekender Travel Bag, True Navy, holds a ton of stuff for a personal bag, and even goes over the carry on handle for easier traveling
Inside that duffle I’m going to put a much smaller essentials bag inside that will hold my tablet, phone, tech and a snack or two. This will give me the legroom I need on the flight, while still having what I need.
My Carry on Bag
I’m in love with my current carry on bag, an Amazon hybrid bag, but it’s starting to show it’s age and it’s discontinued. It weighed only 6.2 pounds and was expandable. Definitely amazing.
I spent some time looking for a super light carry on bag that had a lot of the features of my old bag but also was super light. Especially since I’m going to be traveling by myself. While I like the LUGGEX bag below, it’s a little heavy for me by myself.
I ended up getting the IT Luggage (my favorite luggage brand) Momentous 21″ Hardside Carry-On, which sadly doesn’t expand but is crazy light (a little over 5 pounds) and has a laptop sleeve. I figure I need to keep the carry on under 17 pounds, so I can’t overstuff it anyway…
I did order a few other bags that do expand that are set to arrive later this week… so we’ll see.
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Traveling Gluten Free
A while back I posted Traveling Gluten Free, which had a recipe for Microwave Mac & Cheese! I’d also like to recommend Goodles Gluten-Free Cheddy Mac with 13g Protein & 4g Fiber per serving. I added a little almond milk, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and some tuna pouches and had the best impromptu Tuna Noodle Casserole!
Make sure to check out this post!
A few other things I’ve learned along the way
With all the traveling I’ve been doing here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way.
Food Delivery Services
I’m a huge Instacart fan – especially when traveling in the US. We were in the Fort Myers area for Winter Vacation and had to deal with Shabbat food in a place where it was hard to find Kosher proteins.
On a previous trip we were stranded in Fort Myers over Shabbat due to weather in Chicago, and I pulled out my Instacart app to see what was available by some miracle. We had nothing to make food with in the hotel, except a microwave, so it was really a conundrum. I found Meal Mart Mon Cuisine frozen packaged foods at BJ wholesale!!! They were fabulous, so this year I pre-ordered them to arrive the day after we got to Fort Myers to ensure that we had them for Shabbat. It was perfect. Best of all, I didn’t have to be a BJ’s Wholesale member. I also placed an order from Publix for some staples that we couldn’t find at Aldi or Dollar Tree.
Want to sign up for Instacart and get $10 off? Use code SMATTEN119D4!
We also made a trip on Friday to Trader Joes. They did have uncooked Kosher chicken and meat at the Fort Myers store, but you’d have to check the location near where you are staying.
Get all you disposables cheap!
Dear Husband and I always take a field trip to Dollar Tree right when we arrive. We get all our microwave friendly storage containers, foil, paper goods, aluminum pans, and any non-metal kitchen utensils we might need. We actually leave the disposables at the timeshare apartment so someone else can use them. It’s a cost we write up as part of our vacation.
You can also order in advance directly from Dollar Tree using this link, or through Instacart, and have it delivered to the place you’re staying. Super handy!!
Where to get food
Right before going to Dollar Tree we made a trip to Aldi’s where we know we can get Gluten Free foods and other essentials for a great price. For me it was super simple. I bought my Gluten Free staples and snacks, and we were able to get produce and other pantry items and it didn’t break the bank. You can also order from Aldi on Instacart. Make sure to check out local grocery stores, Walmart and Target. Even pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens carry some gluten free products.
Did I mention I’m a big Instacart fan?
One more thing I ordered from Dick’s Sporting Goods on Instacart…
(We left it in the timeshare office for other people to enjoy 🙂 )
The Final Advice for Traveling…
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