This is it!

Well this is it. I am to start my first official Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management course on June 27th.

To take you back for a second, I tried to start this quest when I was 17, 10 years ago, at the Pasadena Cordon Bleu. Because I was under the age of 24, I needed my families permission and financial assistance to attend the program. I was told by my grandmother that being a chef was degrading, not a position for someone that was intelligent. I was taken to dinner by my attorney uncle to discuss what a stupid, low life choice going to culinary school was. My Mom, was neither for nor against it but did not want to give financial support for it. I was left with no choice.

I went to Medical Assisting school, surely a job in the medical field would please every one. I was an A student, I even did my externship with UCLA. I couldn't find a job and went on to EMT school. I bounced around from one program to another. Did I want to be in the medical field? Did I want to be a teacher? I have spent over $10,000 going to schools, trying to find out who I am. I was miserable.

It was while trying to crash a class with 50 other students, at a traditional school, and learning that the only traditional school in the entire area was cutting back classes, that I decided it was not for me. It was going to take me 5 years to get a two year degree because there weren't enough classes. That degree wouldn't have led me to where I wanted anyway.

As I sat the next day crying, asking my self once again, what I wanted to do, something clicked in my head. I now had a husband, home and 3 year old child to take into consideration. I knew since the day my daughter was born that I wanted a job that would be convenient for me to be a good mother and wife. I knew that I wanted my own business.

During these 10 years, the culinary world became something completely different. With Emeril and Mario, the Food network. A few years ago, my grandmother actually asked me, why don't you become a chef like all these famous people on TV. I couldn't believe it. 

Within one hour of this culinary epiphany, I was at the school, signing papers. I had called my mom on the way to the school and my mom was thrilled that I had chosen what I wanted. At 17, she thought I was too young to throw my self into an expensive program, at 27, she was thankful I may have actually found what I wanted to do. She reaffirmed, reminded me of, and supported my passion for cooking. she gave me idea after idea of the wonderful things I could do in the culinary world.

So we come to now! I just ordered my Crocs online, I signed all my financial paperwork, I unfortunately found out that I will have to pay $5,000 out of pocket for my course. Luckily I can make monthly payments over the 10 month course. This will be pretty steep considering I have to pay for extra preschool hours for my daughter. Her school is only until 12:00 and my class is until 1:00 so I have to pay for an entire day of school for her instead of 1/2 a day. It is a sacrifice, but a short one.

Well this is probably enough for my first blog. I am sure that no one out there is reading but I want to take people along this culinary journey. So join me if you have a few minutes.