The Next Step

Over two months ago now, I alluded to my post-grad plans in NYC. I know I've been super shady about it ever since then, but yesterday I received the letter I've been waiting for and I can finally let you all into the loop (thanks for waiting so patiently)!

Well, here goes: beginning July 18, I'll be starting full-time chef's training classes at the Natural Gourmet Institute, a health food cooking school in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. It's a mostly vegetarian institution that believes strongly in the relationship between food and health, teaching its students a variety of nutrition approaches including raw foods and macrobiotics. At the end of the program, I'll have to complete a 100 hour restaurant internship to graduate.

Last night I got home late and squealed with excitement when I saw my welcome packet sitting on the counter. The curriculum includes tofu and tempeh, sea vegetables, gluten-free baking and cake decorating. Wheeeeeeee!! I. Am. So. Excited. The program is roughly six months long and doesn't grant a degree in culinary arts, but I think that it will be absolutely invaluable to me in figuring out what I want to do next. I'm not sure exactly what kind of career I want to pursue, but I know it involves food and health, so I'm absolutely ecstatic to begin this next step. For awhile I toyed with the idea of staying at NYU to get my master's in nutrition or food studies, but in the end I decided that wasn't for me. I've spent enough time in a traditional classroom. I want to get out there and get my hands dirty- literally!

The thing is, I truly believe that blogging has helped me to gain a sense of purpose and passion in my life. Until the past year or so, I had absolutely zero idea what kind of career I wanted to pursue. Sure, there were things I was good at and I could see myself not hating as a job, but there was nothing that got me truly excited. Une Vie Saine has allowed me to develop an interest I never expected to change my life. I love writing it because I'm passionate about the subject, and that's something I'd never experienced before. I have to thank all of you, my readers, for sticking around and helping me figure out what makes me tick. This blog would have gone nowhere if not for you, and for that I am so, so, so grateful for all your continued support! I can't wait to take you on this next step with me.

Oh, and for the record:

source

NGI is where Bethenny Frankel learned her skills. Now I really want to finish A Place of Yes...


Happy Saturday!!