Seat Backs and Tray Tables in Their Full Up Right Positions

When making rash decisions, do not dye ones hair out of frustration.
Secondly, always follow your heart. This may seem like an oxymoron, however, these two bits of information are the key insight to the last month of my life.


I have been biting my time to let the news out, however, now after finding that I have a knack for making it work I can say with all my excitement and enthusiasm, I am moving to New York City in two weeks.


2 months ago, I was denied from my dream school (NYU). So as most girls do when they are upset, they do something empowering to compromise, or at least alleviate the pain of rejection. I turned to what I know best: spending money frivolously, baking and cooking a lot, eating peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon, yoga and debating a new hair color. Then of corse came the disappointment of eating all of that peanut butter and dying my hair some ridiculous mahogany, but, nonetheless, still in search of dream school number two. When I remembered, what other dream have I had for such a long time? What would connect all faucets of what I love to do? Culinary School.

In my search I thought of many solutions to aide me in my quest for spreading health and tastiness. But one  place still remained at the top of the list. The French Culinary Institute, or I guess, better yet The International Culinary Academy. So I combed the website, filled out an application paused for a moment on the submit button and clicked my mouse. (Mind you, I did not do this with a glass of wine in my hand. I have learned to never do internet searches accompanied by wine, this does not a good paring make.)

From that moment on it has been a process of figuring out how to move across county, but not only that, move across continents in June. The program I joined is actually The Italian Culinary Experience and it couldn't be more exciting. We begin in NYC, SoHo for 10 weeks and then fly to Parma, Italy to continue training at ALMA for 9 weeks. After which point we are sent off (by we I mean our class of 20 or less) to different reputable restaurants across the country in Italy for 9 more weeks. People wait their whole career for an opportunity to work in a restaurant in Europe, and its a part of this curriculum.
How amazing is that?!

So without any more jibber-jabber about how exciting my new adventure is going to be, I invite you to join me on my journey! The Cauliflower Lollipop will be going global, finally!

After my return from NYC this sunday, with the airport in full Super Bowl mode, I was elated, and a little hung over from wine with friends at The 6th Ward the night prior in New York. Celebrating my finding a sublet in Williamsburg, celebrating moving to the city, celebrating anything we could really. We toasted to having  friendships with those we love, toasted to having the courage to move into new dimensions of ourselves and toasted mostly to having the balls to do what we want.

Visiting New York City always has left an impression on me. I can feel it in my bones. All around me. But right now mostly I can feel it in my feet, because this girl is in need of some good shoes.

By the way, I'd like to make an extra special shout out to Miss Leslie Behrens, friend, beauty and baker extraordinaire. Without whom my trip would not have been such a success. Check out Momofuku Milk Bar, a new obsession of mine and an old one of Anderson Cooper's.