The end of an ERA

I was 6 years old, when my mother picked me up from school and took me to her Culinary class. I remember vividly being introduced to the Chef and saying to her "I want to be a Chef when I grow up" . I had no idea what I was talking about. Somehow, that thought stayed with me forever.

Call me crazy if you want, I understand. Now a days people don't believe in anything, but I do. I believe in a God, in The Universe and because of that, I believe that everything happens for a reason; whether we like it or not.

My life has always been crazy, I could (literally might) write a book about everything that has happened so far. I have grown and learned during this journey a whole lot and something that I know for sure is that I chose Culinary Arts as my career for a reason.

It was never what I expected. I pictured myself dressed in a very clean, white ironed Chef jacket, cooking the most "gourmet" meal someone could imagine, working regular hours, etc. You know? living the dream. I was SO wrong.

I started studying Culinary Management back in Mexico at one of the best cooking schools in the world, Le Cordon Bleu. That is when I started to realize life is not the fairytale I created inside my head.

Life took me to Canada, where I studied Culinary Management AGAIN. I had my very first job in the kitchen of RainForest Cafe, Niagara Falls. My eyes opened and I was able to see everything... long hours, weekends, people being overworked and underpaid for staying on their feet for 12+ hours, THE RUSH, the adrenaline, anxiety, frustration, passion, pride , arrogance, ego, people doing drugs and alcohol to let them get by, the bond you create with your co-workers where NOTHING may have a filter and where teasing each other is the only way to survive. I hated it because it was hard and I loved it because I was excellent at it. I gained respect from people that seemed to disrespect me before. I was in love with my career, long hours in that kitchen were all I craved and I will never forget that kitchen, that people and the passion it gave me.

I ended up moving somewhere else with the promise of a better future. Everything was different this time, the way they worked, how they treated each other, etc. It was very hard adjusting, but I did it because that's who I am... I don't give up. I had my ups and downs in this kitchen. I felt overworked for a while, exhausted, angry, frustrated, disrespected by some, I even felt curious for the very first time if some things would have been different if I was a man. In the other hand, I met a family of cooks that protected me from everything, laughed with me , danced with me and cooked for me. The love and understanding I found here is something that will remain with me until the end.

I am thankful to them, but specially to my Chef. The moment we met I thought we would never get along and it was like that for a while until he became my boss. I got to see every side of him and although my passion for cooking in a professional kitchen was already lost forever, he reminded me how it felt before, the rush, the love and the reasons why God or The Universe put me here, he showed everything to me. I saw my old self in him and made everything better. He might have never noticed but his enthusiasm, passion and empathy for others changed my negative attitude towards the whole picture and thanks to HIM I leave this career with the sweetest memories.

I have learned that the reason why "Being a Chef" was stuck with crazy glue to my head was to make me stronger. The industry has cruel people that believe they come from a Gordon Ramsay tv show. They put you down as much as possible so that they can stay on top. The thicker your skin the longer you survive and the more you succeed. If I chose a different path I am sure I wouldn't be who I am today.

Thank you Mom for always supporting my dream, and thank you Dad for believing in me every single step of the way.