the french culinary institute

it happened a week from yesterday, i was able to walk through the doors of the one school that i have been dreaming of attending since i was a little girl. it was all so surreal: the kitchens stocked with top of the line appliances that i had only before seen in restaurants, the pantry stocked with tens of thousands of dollars of food, the aromas of rising dough, cheese souffles, and perfectly braised veal filled the hallways as i traveled from pastry kitchen to bread kitchen to classic culinary with eyes wider than they had ever been. i felt like i belonged there, with the rest of them. each person there had a different dream yet we all had one thing in common: the intense love of food. after being able to sit in on a class and tour the school, a woman talked to me about internships, about the possibilities and connections that come with going to a school with a name such as the French Culinary Institute. i believed and still do believe every word she said. if you want to make it in the food world, you need to come from a school that has connections and knows the business. i left with a full stomach and the determination to walk through those doors again in a years time, this time with my own chef's coat and textbook. later that night my family walked across the brooklyn bridge, i was wonderstruck as i stood at the top and looked out at the glittering manhattan skyline as the sun slowly dripped down behind it. my heart sputtered tears began to drip down my face, it was at that moment that i knew New York was exactly where i needed to be. i think that a lot of people might have a problem with the route i want to take. what mormon girl goes straight to New York City out of high school? not only that, but it isn't even a real college. when i tell people about my goal of becoming a chef, and someday opening a restaurant they either support it or pretend to. how am i supposed to be a mother, and raise a family when i am working so hard in a city that never stops moving? will i meet someone to marry there? will i die alone? how am i supposed to afford living in a city where $2000 a month for a studio apartment is reasonable. i can't answer any of those questions right now, but i'm not worried because i have faith not fear. this life is supposed to be a journey where i learn things and develop my talents as much as possible. the french culinary institute is where i am supposed to do that and i'm excited. the most important goals in my life are still getting married and becoming a mother. i would give up going to new york in a heart beat  if going meant that i wouldn't get to experience those. however, the lord has a plan for each of us and as i continue to pray and keep close to him i'm not worried. with the spirit close, it is hard to stray off the road to eternal happiness.