Travelling as a Coeliac: How I spent my summer bursary making a documentary

A collage of Milly Harrison's documentary on travelling as a Coeliac abroad with photos of in-land europe.

We offer each of our trainees a summer bursary of up to £1,000 every summer of their degree to spend on journalism work experience or a journalism project, giving them the unique opportunity to travel and explore the areas of journalism they are passionate about.

Here, School of Journalism trainee Milly Harrrison shares how she spent her summer bursary creating a documentary on travelling with coeliac disease.

When I received the email regarding the opportunity to take on a journalistic project over the summer I instantly knew what I wanted to do.

As someone who loves the broadcasting side of journalism and struggles with coeliac disease, I knew that this was the perfect opportunity to create something that could help people while doing something I love.

I had no documentary-making experience but knew I had to start researching to find some incredible places abroad that would fit my idea.

To do this, I joined multiple Facebook groups for coeliacs, and reached out to people with the disease to hear their experiences travelling abroad.

When researching on social media I found that so many people struggle with travelling abroad with the disorder and the diagnosis usually changed their life for the worse.

This is where my project became a passion project.

For those of you that may not know, coeliac disease is a chronic immune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten including wheat, barley, malt, rye and oats.

It results in the damage of intestinal lining which can lead to all sorts of symptoms and problems in the body.

It’s main symptoms are diarrhoea, sickness, fatigue, weight loss, bloating and anaemia.

It is very scary when you are first diagnosed as doctors will tell you that if you continue to eat gluten it could lead to infertility, bowel and other cancers, osteoporosis and much more.

The anxiety that rises can become a lot for some people.

There’s always the question of ‘will I be able to eat there’, ‘will I get sick’, ‘will I get contaminated’, ‘can I attend this event’.

This is why I wanted to create this project to show people that it is possible, and your quality of life does not need to deteriorate.

I wanted people who watched the documentary to start living a life as close to what it was before their diagnosis as possible.

So, I packed my bag for a six-day round-trip into the unknown, city hopping across Europe.

I went with no expectations and the intention of showing the real life struggles of being a coeliac abroad.

However, it turned out to be the complete opposite.

I visited three different cities abroad and tasted incredible foods.

From pizza and pasta in Italy to Spanish tapas in Madrid and lots of yummy pastries in between.

During this process I was never glutened, and it was very rare that I felt unsafe in a restaurant.

While being abroad I met so many people who were coeliac and got to learnt from their prior knowledge of coexisting with the disorder.

The first two days I spent in Rome, which I found was the easiest city to eat in.

There were rows upon rows of restaurants with signs and menus that clearly stated they catered for people with gluten allergies.

My documentary was off to a great start!

The next two days were spent in Madrid which was definitely the hardest place to find places to eat.

However, this was not because they didn’t cater for people with coeliac disease but that coeliac-friendly restaurants weren’t as noticeable.

This is where the FindmeGF app became incredibly useful.

FindmeGF is and app that you can type your location in and it brings up any restaurants in your area that have gluten-free options.

The main problem in Madrid is the distance, the restaurants were incredibly spread out within the city meaning you had to play your day around your meals rather than stumbling upon one like you could in Rome.

Finally, the last two days were spent in Barcelona.

This was where I experienced the tastiest food of the trip and where I felt safest on my travels.

The transport was a lot harder than both Rome and Madrid however, the restaurants, bakeries and cafes all seemed to be cautious of allergies and most knowledgeable on them.

Barcelona is also where I met a lovely woman who inspired me to keep going with the project and make it the best I can.

She explained to me coeliac disease changed her life and how finding places abroad meant that her kids (who were also on a gluten-free diet) could try things and live a life share never got to when first diagnosed.

I want this documentary to be seen by people who are struggling and inspire them to travel, see the world, and live just as they would before without all of this anxiety.

This is something I would have loved to watch when I was first diagnosed and that is why I’m so grateful to The School of Journalism for this opportunity to take on a journalistic project that can help people.

I got to experience things that will inspire others and meet so many incredible people on the way.

My camera roll is now full of amazing memories and I look at it with pride knowing I put my own personal anxieties to the side while creating something that will eradicate the fears of others.

This experience was the start of so much more for me and I can’t wait to learn more about broadcast journalism and expand my capabilities.

You can read more summer bursary blogs here.

Click here to join our free taster events to experience what it’s like to be a journalist and study on our BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism degree.