Somehow, the end of my first semester at Culinary School is upon me, and I don’t even know how it happened so quickly. I’ve gone from just understanding consomme to pulling together more composed dishes:

My life, similarly, has become more composed as well.  I’ve somehow learned to balance school, three jobs, and a (somewhat sad or somewhat very exclusive, depending on how you look at it) social and familial life. You know what? It’s not bad. Sure, busy doesn’t come close to describing my life on some weeks, but I’ve learned to at least give myself a day off a week, allowing myself to recharge from what can be a very demanding schedule.

So what’s next? More school, of course.  I start my second semester next month, and with it, I get to learn fish and meat butchery, courses I have been very excited to learn. Then I start to work in production kitchens, which I’m sure will feel like home to me.  I cannot wait to be back in a kitchen setting this summer, where I will go on externship and have a chance to gain some more experience and save a little cash.

Hopefully I’ll have some time this summer to still do some exploring between school and work, as I plan on hitting a festival or two and traveling to some new states (looking at you, Colorado…).  Then it’s back to school to finish up before graduation.

After all that? Who knows. The sky is the limit after I graduate, though I expect I will want to move out of New York as soon as I can. Or at least that’s the plan for now.  My life is so fluid, I might end up staying in New York for a little.  All I know is, I would like to live out west for at least a little part of my life.  Colorado or California, maybe Arizona or even Oregon if the conditions are right.  I don’t plan on spending my whole life in one place. There are so many exciting things happening in food nowadays I don’t have to limit myself to a specific region.  People gotta eat.

All those are just dreams though.  I have no idea where my life is going to take me, and if I’ve learned anything in the past year, it is the life has it’s own plan, and sometimes, there is no use fighting it.  So I just plan the day to day, at least til I have the time to figure out the rest.  Luckily, I’ll always have my friends and family to guide me through the somewhat treacherous seas of life, those who support me and who put up with me when I’m not on my best behavior; it’s those people who I owe a great deal of thanks.

So what have I learned in my first semester at school? That, when put to the test, I still want to live my life with food.  School has tested my resolve, and I think it’s only made me want to push harder.  Having people to watch your back definitely instils a greater sense of confidence; I know I can take the dive cause I have a good net to catch me just in case I miss.  There’s no point in not going for my goals.

-L