Cavegirl prepares to travel

When the cavemen traveled, they didn't have to think about going out to eat at restaurants or being rude for not sampling the in-laws' dishes at a baby shower. I do. I'm preparing for an overnight trip - a little over 24 hours, including car time - with the women of my husband's family, and I need to devise a plan to make Paleo possible while I'm traveling. I'll be driving Friday afternoon (alone), socializing Friday evening, sharing a hotel room with my mother- and sister-in-law Friday night, attending a baby shower Saturday noon, and then driving home (alone).

Here are some thoughts:

1. Pack a lot of snacks. There are a lot portable Paelo foods, especially nuts and fruit. I plan on pre-portioning a number of snacks so I can eat in the car on the way there and the way back and in the hotel at night, if I need to. Total control of the situation.

2. Pack breakfast. Chances are, the plan is to eat breakfast at the hotel. I can pack a couple boiled eggs and put them in a cooler and eat those with some fruit. Another crisis diverted.

3. Prepare a script for the restaurant. I'll bet that we'll be eating out for at least one meal - probably dinner on Friday evening. This is when I get a little nervous. There must be a way I can eat Paleo at a restaurant and resist the temptation of dinner rolls and french fries. I'm thinking I'll do a little more internet surfing on this topic before the trip, but right now I figure I should be safe ordering a plain chicken breast, prepared without salt or butter, with fruit and veggies on the side. I should be able to get that anywhere, right? Yikes...

4. Prepare to defend. I imagine at some point during my trip, one of my in-laws will question why I'm such a finnicky eater. It's easy to say, "Oh, I'm on a diet. Trying to lose some weight." But what usually follows is, "Come on, this is a fun weekend away - you can cheat just this once!" No. I can't. And I won't. I've made a committment to this way of life for the sake of my health. I've made some real progress in the last two and a half weeks, but I have a long way to go before I don't fear temptations from my old way of eating. So - my resolve must be strong, and I must be able to gracefully decline. We don't want to offend the in-laws!

This is my life on Paleo. I will have to travel. I'll consider this my first real test, and right now - I'm studying!