But Mom, the ketchup tastes weird...

Our first experience in overseas travel was our cruise in 2007. We had arrived on the redeye flight which had been delayed so we didn't land in Barcelona until noon, and by the time we got checked in the hotel and out the door for sightseeing, it was getting late in the day.  We had survived on snacks we'd brought with us in addition to the actually edible food on the plane, but after we'd slept our way around the city on the tour bus, we headed out from the hotel in search of something more substantial to eat.  At the time, our boys were 9 and 11 and neither were too keen on trying new foods, so as a matter of convenience, we had our first official meal in Spain at a local McDonalds.

If you've ever eaten at a McDonalds in another country, you already know that while the menu may look familiar, the food is not always so.  Add a language barrier, an inability to convert money in our head, and hungry children, and you'll understand why we pointed to what we thought we'd want.  As it turned out, what we ordered was similar - burgers, fries (only not the same kind as we get in the US) and of course a soft drink.  But here's the thing the boys remember the most about that meal - the ketchup was different - different to the point that they wouldn't eat their hamburgers because it made them "taste weird."

When we were in London in 2010, there was a McDonalds across the street from our hotel, and I was hoping they would have "weird ketchup" too so that the boys would be up for trying more local restaurants and less fast-food.  I got my wish!  Of course to give them credit, their palates had expanded and were willing to try a variety of food.  But the ketchup was definitely different than at home.

I occasionally use the ibotta app when shopping to pick up some change for my PayPal account, and this week I noticed a new product available:  Heinz Dip and Squeeze ketchup in a 10-pack! We had seen these packs at Chick-Fil-A and had jokingly told the boys that I should pick up a few extra packs the next time we are there to bring on the trip this summer.  But now it appears I can buy a pack myself.  As the boys have gotten older, their tastes have changed along with their willingness to try even more food, so I hope we don't end up at a McDonalds in Barcelona. But if we do, we'll be ready!