"Hello Life, Goodbye Columbus..."

Majestic mountains. Heavenly-blue sky. Steamy desert sand. Sunshine. Glorious sunshine.

To quote a former gymnastic coach, “What is she going to do this time…”

Phoenix, Arizona? Let’s take that leap of faith, shall we not?

This is truly the first time in my life that I have actually had the opportunity and free time to relax and dream. To slow the pace in order to determine priorities and goals. To follow dreams, take chances, meet new individuals on a daily-basis and to learn from my mistakes.

And boy do I make mistakes…

I will not leave my purse in my brother’s car resulting in the window being smashed and giving a tricksy-bandit pure elation upon finding my entire life (wallet, apartment keys, camera, ipod, retainer… yes, I said retainer).

I will not aimlessly drop my car keys in Whole Foods resulting in a teary-eyed apology.

I will keep the house in a state of pristine cleanliness in case the fire alarm sounds and to prevent the neighbors and police from encountering a royal mess.

I will not break any more computers. Ever. Seriously, Dad.

I will not lock myself out of the house in my pajamas without a cell phone or shoes.

I am not perfect. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to try my best when life gives me a challenge. I have learned to be content with my best effort… not perfection.

My experience in Paris allowed me to appreciate LIFE. I would not trade the experience for anything; however, would I repeat the adventure? I am not quite certain. There was an enormous amount of pain associated with the highs of joy. The hardest part of living and working in Paris was the lack of fellowship, friendship and laughter. I have always thrived under a high-stress, challenging environment. However, joy and laughter always aid in breaking the tension. In Paris, this “comic relief” was not an option due to the communication barrier. Michel taught me proper French while I studied in university. Slang was not part of the curriculum. Slang is, however, the dominant ‘language’ in the kitchen.

The hardest part was working in a constantly high-stress service (both lunch and dinner everyday), but not having that ability to laugh. (by the time the guys would explain the joke, it was no longer funny and I still probably had my head tilted sideways accompanied with a quizzical expression gracing my face. My friends from Le Cordon Bleu also returned to the States immediately after graduation, as no one stayed in Paris to work. Some days were harder than others. But I learned something new each and every single day. I was able to make others smile every single day. And that, my friends, is the ultimate goal.

After moving back to the States, I appreciated fully comprehending conversations. I spoke with individuals in the post-office line, grocery stores, work, family and friends. Live, laugh and love again.

Getting back on subject. Arizona. I moved here much earlier than expected. Life has a way of throwing one unexpected curves and the challenge is what we do with the lemons that we are given. Anyone for pink lemonade? The economy has impacted fine dining irreparably in the major cities of the world. The impact even reverberates through Parisian restaurants. This is not the time to establish yet another fine dining experience. I am continuing to hone my skills by cooking every day at home. The ubiquitous produce found in my kitchen includes a plethora of fresh vegetables, fish, beans, whole grains, fruits and lean meats. I experiment with these ingredients by using French-techniques and putting a healthy-spin on the fresh ingredients. (the grill is also used more… heavily influenced by Bobby Flay and Ry techniques!) I enjoy making meals to enjoy with friends and neighbors.

The Refectory was an experience which I will cherish in my heart forever. I also have some scars from burns which will always remind me of my time behind the line. I was so grateful for the opportunity to work with Chef Richard, Cam and every single employee. I worked hard and I daily learned new “tricks-of-the-trade.” I loved being able to improve, challenge myself, work quickly and develop close bonds. I will forever use the life skills and kitchen techniques which I developed while working at The Refectory.

You know how I function… when I decide to embrace an endeavor, I work with my entire heart and soul. Accounting. CPA. My goal is to be finished with the CPA by the end of November. Copious amounts of studying; and Michael is gracious enough to help me when I have questions. When I was recently finishing an online accounting course, Michael taught me more accounting than I have ever learned in ONE day. When I truly began to understand the concepts, I viewed the problems as puzzles… more enjoyable than simply number crunching. How to balance the debits to the credits. How to record entries. How to prepare financial statements. It is a tremendous amount of work; however, when one comprehends, one can enjoy. And I enjoy, I do indeed! :)

One more possible SB repertoire addition… modeling. I was approached at the gym to attend a casting call. To make a long story short, I ended up in a photo shoot and upcoming fashion show. Walking the runway. (Mimi, you are allowed to say, “I told you so” now!). It really is another adventure. Fulfilling the childhood dream, but not taking it to the extreme. We were braving the HOT (understatement of the century… above 100 degrees) Arizona sunshine as the photographers and I jumped into wheat fields, flower fields and other random areas (figured the canals would not be an intelligent option, as ‘sanitary’ and ‘canal’ do not exactly go hand-in-hand). But it is ultimately only a dream…

I have never witnessed such joyful and friendly people as those individuals whom I have encountered in AZ… constantly making small sacrifices in order to help others. I respect the hospitality and outgoing personalities. I also appreciate the beauty of life. I am captivated by the prodigious mountains. I live only five minutes from South Mountain and I am blessed in being able to hike this mountain several times each week. The beauty of the desert leaves me speechless. Bright and bold desert flowers thrive in the dry heat. Granted, not as much green as the mid-west, but the sunshine takes top priority in my book!

There are more endeavors which I am pursuing, though the future is represented by a large question mark. In the meantime, I am working hard, meeting and making friends, and loving LIFE! And that, my friends, is freedom.

All my love from Arizona!

SB :)