I’ve had the travel bug since I was very young, always getting excited when it came time to pack my bags and go on a trip.  The bug bites every few months and the desire to go Somewhere Else often builds and builds until I drop everything and dash off somewhere for a three-day weekend just to scratch that travel itch.  Thanks in part to my supportive family and with the aid of my beloved passport, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit a total of eight foreign countries and 46 of the 50 United States thus far.  I haven’t yet made plans to scratch North Dakota or Alaska off my list, and I hope to hit Hawaii next fall, but that’s pretty far away to look forward to.  Instead, I’m excited that I will finally place a check mark next to Oregon next month when I fly off to Portland for a week to celebrate my sister’s wedding.

And do you know what else I’m going to do while vacationing in Portland?  I’m going to take a tour of the Mill at Bob’s Red Mill, that’s what!  So exciting!  I am such a geek at heart, and I love educational tours and field trips, so what better way to say hi to one of our WGC Members than by ooohing and aaahing over their French buhr millstones from the 1800s.  Another must on my list is Powell’s City of Books in downtown Portland.  No, this has nothing to do with whole grains (although I bet they carry a bunch of our favorite whole grains cookbooks), but this Powell’s location occupies an entire city block and stocks more than a million new and used books.  How could I possibly miss that?!

Thinking ahead to next month’s trip actually turned my memories back over the trips I’ve made on behalf of the Whole Grains Council in the two years (two years!!) that I’ve been here.  I’m very fortunate to be able to combine my love of travel with education efforts here at the WGC.  We try to monitor the world of whole grains from our offices, but every now and again, we pack our bags in order to offer support and education to many different audiences.  As I cross the two-year mark of working with this amazing group of people on behalf of whole grains for better health for all, here are just a few of the highlights from my travels:

• While visiting WGC Member Grupo Bimbo in Mexico City 2008, I was fortunate enough to have a free afternoon and took a guided tour of this amazing and beautiful city.  It was my first time so far south in Mexico, and the city both blew my mind and delighted me.  The highlight of the trip was a traditional dining experience at Oh Mayahuel in Coyoacan, where I enjoyed a variety of amazing food including homemade mezcal, orange slices sprinkled with spiced salt, and guacamole sprinkled with pan-fried grasshopper bits.  That’s right, grasshoppers.  They were crunchy, salty, and I was thoroughly thrilled to eat them.  If you look closely at the photo in this blog post, you can just make out their little legs!

• Every year, Oldways and the WGC have a booth at the American Dietetic Association’s annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo.  Affectionately referred to as ADA FNCE (or just FNCE) by those “in the know,” it’s one of the biggest trips we plan each year.  Our booth is always chock full of information for the attendees, a mix of health professionals and registered dietitians, and the sheer number of attendees ensures we’re on our feet and talking non-stop for three days straight.  It’s a seriously big deal!  Although I suffered through FNCE 2007 with a horrid sinus infection, I was thrilled to introduce my colleagues to two of Philadelphia’s gastronomic staples – the Philly cheesesteak and Yuengling beer.  FNCE 2008 saw us in Chicago enjoying amazing Catalan-inspired dishes at Mercat a la Planxa, the unparalleled vegetarian fare at Green Zebra, and a heart-stopping dinner at Alinea that has taken permanent residence in my Top 5 Most Amazing Meals Ever.  This year, FNCE takes us to Denver, and any dining suggestions would be most welcome!

• Of course, no travel recap would be complete without mentioning the WGC’s most recent conferences.  In November of 2007, we descended on Kansas City, MO for our “Just Ask For Whole Grains” conference and it was there that I was introduced to the bounty that is shopping at the Country Club Plaza.  It was directly across my our hotel, how could I skip it!?  The conference was fantastic, and I was fortunate enough to tour the pasta-making facilities of AIPC, which was beyond cool.  Earlier this year, in April, the WGC once again “took over” a city, this time dropping in on Alexandria, VA for our “Make (at least!) Half Your Grains Whole” conference.  In support of whole grains and the upcoming 2010 Dietary Guidelines, we gathered quite a crowd of government and health representatives, as well as playing hosts to representatives from many of our Member companies.  For this year’s conference, I took on the role of presenter in addition to the usual task of conference organizer, and I must say (with a touch of pride) that this year’s conference was the best one yet!

• This year has actually been pretty busy travel-wise.  In addition to speaking at our conference in Alexandria in April, I also took a road trip up to Burlington, VT to speak at the Vermont chapter of the ADA.  In true “no rest for the wicked” fashion, I was back in the office for less than a week before jetting off to Arkansas for a week-long gig on behalf of the Arkansas Department of Education.  Over the winter, I also traveled to such exotic locations as Anaheim, CA for the monstrous Natural Products Expo West and took a quick trip to Texas to present to my friends at Bimbo here in the states.  Each trip not only satisfied my love of travel, but I was also fortunate to spread the message of whole grain goodness to many different audiences from all over the country.  (And yes, if you’re counting, that’s five trips in five months – I told you there was no rest for the wicked!)

Wondering what’s on my plate for the rest of the year?  In September, I’ll be celebrating Whole Grains Month by presenting at the Gluten-Free Summit in Hyde Park, NY at the Culinary Institute of America.  The close of Whole Grains Month will find me wandering the aisles of Natural Products Expo East, saying hi to our WGC Members at the show and looking for new things in the world of whole grain products.  Last but not least, we can’t forget FNCE in Denver mid-October, where many of our Members will undoubtedly be exhibiting as well.  Who knows, something else may pop up as the year winds down and you’ll find me packing my bags for yet another globe trotting whole grains adventure!  (Kara)

Be sure to join me next month for more Me & My Whole Grains, a series of monthly blogs that share the changes I’ve seen in my life directly related to whole grains.