Starting Over

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. - Adelle Davis

In the search for a new career path, I’ve been consistently plagued by the fear that although my passion and desire peaks in a kitchen, taking it from a love and hobby to a full time job would ruin the pleasure derived from it. Attempting to snake around it by finding associated jobs, which would allow the happiness I get from a new dish, or from seeing satisfaction on the faces of friends and loved ones when they try something I’ve created, has been no easy task. It’s equally difficult to find yourself embarking on a new adventure when you don’t have the formal training and experience to back it. Throwing my thoughts on paper, and relating to food in a way that simultaneously allows me to reach down into my personal depths, has done as much in the way of freeing me from the daily grind as bringing the frustrations of my situation into the spotlight.

On the days that I’m not in the mood to cook, I worry that it’s the day I’ve dreaded…the day that it doesn’t bring me the same solace and comfort I have begun to rely on. Once my rational side kicks in, and it dawns on me that it’s acceptable to take a day off, I begin to relax…and to plan. I make mental notes on the correlations between life and cooking, I excitedly make lists of meals I’ll make on the days that I do have the inspiration, and I dream. I visualize my future, the one in which I wake up invigorated and refreshed by what awaits.