Fly away to what you want to make.

I'm the first of my kind.

I'm the only person in the 25+ years my tiny little private all girls high school has been around to graduate and go to culinary school. I'm not saying my class wasn't varied, interesting, or diverse. One girl went to study philosophy at Amherst, another continued onto Tisch at NYU to become an actress, another is studying education at St. Anselm's. Yet, no one has ever entered the world of food. And what a strange, small, specialized little world it is. Applying to schools was extremely tough. No one knew how to help me. Not my parents, my college counselor, my friends. Therefore, I was pretty much alone. Yet, I made it through senior year and am headed off to Johnson and Wales University in Miami on Friday, majoring in culinary arts and restaurant management, following my dream of becoming a chef and owning a restaurant one day.

When I told people where I was going to school I got an ENDLESS amount of questions. Why go into the food industry? You live in Massachusetts, why choose the Miami campus over the Providence one? Don't you know how difficult the industry you're entering is? Do you think you'll be able to handle it? The questions were always the same. And my answers were always the same. I know EXACTLY what I'm getting myself into. Classes at 7AM, going into a profession where I'll be working long arduous hours and holidays, strict uniforms, etc. I chose Miami because I need to get out of New England. After going to school in a class of sixteen girls for 7 years, I needed to explore, expand my horizons, and meet different varied people of different backgrounds and lifestyles. I also preferred the Miami campus because of the weather (obviously) and the fact that the culinary students were integrated with the rest of the school, as opposed to living on a different campus.

Really, the reason why I'm majoring in what I'm majoring in, going where I'm going, living where I'm living is to do what I've been wanting to do since I was eleven in the best way how. I have an unbelievable passion for food. I believe cooking is one of the most beautiful, spectacular art forms. I always knew I wanted to go into something creative, yet I never could really succeed in art class. When I found cooking, it just kind of clicked. I could make something beautiful, AND satisfy other people in the process. Food is an art that appeals to all the senses: the smell of caramelizing onions, the taste of a fresh piece of melon, the sound of butter sizzling on a pan, the feel of tart dough in your hands, the sight of a perfect finished dish. I've found so much happiness in food, and I hope to continue working with it as long as I can.

I'm starting this blog in order to update my family, friends, and anyone who wants to read about my adventures in culinary school. It's sure to be an interesting journey. I can't promise that I'll be faithful and write on a scheduled basis, but I'll try my hardest! Bon Appetit!