the journey begins

Culinary school. Believe me, it wasn't a decision that I took lightly. I love to cook, but it hasn't always been that way. I wasn't, like some people, aware of a love of cooking from an early age. Cooking is hard work, and being a good cook at home doesn't mean that you'll be a good cook professionally. Cooking dinner for family or friends isn't remotely like doing 200 covers in a busy night on the line.

That's where school comes in, right? Sure. I guess so. We'll see, anyway. Thing is, I'm pretty sure I'm more than just a little crazy. I have a good job that pays me well. I have health benefits. I know what to expect day in and day out at work now. Going to school on top of that will be rough. Add to that the fact that when I graduate I can expect to land a position as a prep cook in a kitchen and not be a part of the excitement of the line... oh, and did I mention that I will be making about half the money that I'm making now? And bye-bye health insurance. I guess you could say that I'm putting my life on the line to be on the line.

That being said, you can't really put a price tag on happiness. I get no satisfaction from going to work at my job. I've been working for the same company for eight years and loathing it. Should we have to sacrifice our happiness and personal goals for job security? For a steady paycheck? I'm a little bummed that I was almost 30 before I finally realized that this was something that I really, truly wanted to do. I want to cook. I want to sweat and bust my ass while the rest of the world is out playing, having dinner and drinks. For the next 9 months of school, I'll be working full time and going to school immediately afterward, which means that 5 days a week I'll be sleeping 5 hours a night while I try to learn and not burn myself out. Or burn myself, come to think of it.

So, follow along with me if you'd like. If you've ever been curious about culinary school or cooking professionally, I'll do my best to get you a little insight into the daily life of a culinary student at a top-ranked culinary school. Bon appetite!