IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD!!!

Is that a Chinet commercial embedded in my blog post???!!! YES, YES IT IS! Why, you may ask...well simply because it expresses EVERYTHING I stand for.

If you do not mind, let's back up for a moment.

I will start by making the disclaimer that I cannot speak for every culture or household when I make this statement but...by the time most children turn 18 they are expected to have a plan. What college are you going to? What will you major in?? What do you want to do after college??? What is your purpose???? What is your life time goal?????

*ssscccrrrreeeeeccccchhhhhh* WAIT...HOLD UP A MINUTE. A plan? I'm 18 years old, all I know about life is going to school and you want me to tell you my life long plans?? I barely know myself, let alone my purpose. If you ask me, 18 is just way too young for people to make a definitive decision on what they want to do for the remainder of their ENTIRE LIFE. Not to mention, these questions not only suggest but cultivate young minds to think that you can only do ONE thing in life...and I beg to differ.

Sometimes I feel like we make up something, anything, just to appease the people around us. Or, we make up something, anything, to make us appear to be more grounded, established, or mature than what we really are. We've created a facade of this GREAT life but on the inside we don't even know who we are anymore. Suddenly we wake up and realize that we have boxed our selves into a life that we are constantly screaming to get out of but we are to scared to do so. "I mean....What would others think??" People will think I'm unstable and can't make up my mind. What about the money my parents spent OR the "mortgage-size" amount of student debt I have hounding me EVERY month. How are you supposed to explain the degree you never used. The money and time you feel you "wasted". What do you do when you find out your true desire is to be a musician, a model, a chef, OR pack up all your belongings to become a missionary in a third-world country.

We constantly drive our lives according to other peoples thoughts or even desires for us. It's like we HAVE to follow a certain protocol or timeline. Point being, we do not have to search for cookie cutter pathways to live our lives...let YOUR passion drive you...WHATEVER it may be, DARE to be different. Do not let other peoples thoughts and opions hinder you but instead, take a chance, be ECLECTIC and be AMBITIOUS! 

College is SO MUCH MORE than the piece of paper you receive 2 weeks after graduation, that recruiters and hiring managers in the "real world" could care less about. College offers a GREAT growing opportunity to discover who you are, what makes you tick and more importantly what makes you happy...thus beginning to unveil your purpose(s) in life.

I'm a firm believer that God has equipped me to do a lot of things...and none of them align with the life-long plan I wrote down during my freshman orientation class in college lol. But that is okay, I needed those experiences to get to where I am now.

After undergrad, I went to culinary school to pursue my passion. I walked in kind of blind, I wasn't absolutely sure what I wanted to do with my degree in culinary arts but somehow, once again I began to feel the walls closing in on me. The constant questions of "Do you want to work in a restaurant?" "Do you want to cater?" "How about pastry?" "Wow! you spent all that money and you're still not working in the industry?" OMMMGGGGG PLEASE STOP THE MADNESS!!!

A couple months ago I had the pleasure and honor of catering a house warming for a good friend of mine. In the middle of the party, as I was placing more honey teriyaki chicken skewers on a platter, I took a moment and scanned the open room. It was filled with her family, friends, co-workers. Various people who have never met each other before that day and they all came together to celebrate a huge milestone and blessing for someone they all cared about. Moreover, the room that had all the food, is the same room that strangers began to become acquaintances. Chatter and laughter filled the dinning room as they all placed their favorite bites on their plate. At that moment, it hit me. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD! Food brings people together. The holidays are filled with gatherings but it always comes together when food is involved. A girls night out of town, an anniversary dinner, a group of almost strangers wanting to experience a new restaurant, whatever the case may be....you can ALWAYS get a group of people to gather together when food is involved.

Entertaining has become such a lost art as we become so consumed with our own lives. The advancement of technology has taken away the simple pleasures in life; like having a few neighbors gather in your house to enjoy a delicious meal and each others company. I desire to bring it back. This is what I am passionate about!!! Chinet so eloquently puts it as "discovering the lost art of getting together".

I decided to post a few pics that were taken at the party! Take a look! AND if you have not pressed play on the above Chinet commercial...please do. They are NOT paying me to advertise but I just think the commercial is awesome! 

AND feel free to leave your own thoughts about your Eclectic Ambition, I would love to hear about it!!

Stay tuned for more to come!

*smooches & dueces*

~Cece~