It’s hard to believe it’s only been seven days since I last wrote my blog post. After a much-needed “break” given to us in the form of an online class for the final exam week of our seafood class, the fire is now officially lit for my classmates and me. We are now onto our catering-style cooking class, Modern Banquets, and every day is an adrenaline-fueled adventure of cooking huge portions to feed students taking breaks from other classrooms down the halls. This class is a much higher intensity than last semester because of the volume and speed. Instead of kitchen class twice a week, we now meet every morning at 6 am. By 10:30 am, we are eating family meal around the table, either bickering over how slow someone is when prepping or high-fiving each other for making delicious food.

Each day, I take a moment to pause my thoughts and take in the electricity around me. My class is full of people from all around the world, a fact that my chef often brings to our attention, and at every millisecond, you can hear a million forms of communication happening at once. Whether it’s calling out “hot, behind!” or strategizing how to get all the next steps of the recipe done before time is up, there is never a silent moment, and everyone’s voice is heard.

My next semester is an externship, which means I will work at a restaurant for school credit. This is every student’s opportunity to seek a job that speaks to their interests and gain real-world experience to carry with them after graduation. After a nerve-wracking application process, I was officially offered my dream position at Shelburne Farms in Vermont near Burlington. This historic establishment is an award-winning working farm, fine-dining restaurant, and sustainable food education center with 1,500 acres of land sitting along Lake Champlain. I will be cooking in their farm-to-table restaurant while assisting on their farm this summer, and I am beyond excited to continue my journey at this breathtakingly beautiful location. If any of my readers make their way to Vermont this summer, I highly suggest that you take a day to visit this farm center and allow me to cook a meal for you.