The Path

It's time to get back on track...
I lost my way... :(

I let myself get trapped in nonsense, much like Sampson did here... :P

I'm back. It's been a long time. I for sure lost myself and let life push me down.

For that though, I have learned some great things and have lots of advice for anyone who would love to join me on this path.


Planning

I'm not sure if I have said this already, but this journey was life changing. Exactly the last minute decision. So with that I didn't set myself up for the most success, and I have been playing catch up ever since.

As you saw here, some parts unfortunately were left behind. My writing, really was the biggest side project that took the hit. I miss it. So here I am! I have worked my way back and I will do my best to ensure this is at the top of my list. Eventually, down the road this might be a HUGE asset to me and I don't want to stop it because of my ignorance.

My best advice is to plan. If you decide as well to completely change your life as I did, make a plan for it. Even if it is a short notice plan, do something. Right now my biggest challenge is my drive. I don't live in Boulder (where both school and my job is), I live up near Fort Collins. It's an hour drive, not terrible, but it adds up. If I could have moved closer I would have, it's 2 hours a day that I lose (it really gets taken out of sleep).

Financial plan. This is my killer. I've been all over the past few years on jobs with very different pay rates. My financial foundation does not exist and it is beyond difficult to make it work. Make some kind of plan for it. Rent, food, school payments... I definitely recommend student loans if you need them (someday as an Executive Chef I can pay them back!), and really work with them on it. Understand that it will be hard, there aren't enough hours to work a full time job and go to school and I don't recommend it simply because I can't do it.


Happy Things!!!

This might be the most important. Find something that makes you happy!!! This is a crazy insane life. I have interviewed multiple Chefs now and all of them, ALL of them have said this is a crazy way to live. Long hours, stressful hours, all kinds of things going on that need to be done. It's CRAZY!!!

But they all love it! No one would do this if they don't love it. I'm still here because I love this. I love the work. I love the food. I even do love the crazy hours. I just forgot to do happy things outside of it all to keep me going. The weekend I stopped writing was my first day off in weeks, I didn't really do anything. That was a huge mistake. I should have made a day of fun to get me fired up! Next weekend...

I am going to make my best effort to be here, to be engaged. It does make me happy, it's the time sitting around at home that ruins it. I've located my weakness and I'm going to work with it. As far as getting back on here and getting caught up, right now in class we are working on creating a restaurant so we won't be cooking. I will be back on point by the end of this block!!!!!

Chef Mark Kalix

I will be interviewing Chef Mark soon, I really have enjoyed working with him!