Challenge #3 - Figuring It All Out

In my second post Challenge Accepted I wrote of the desire for a career involving food, but not knowing where to go next. On the road to discovery I created this blog, have tried to post regularly and am setting myself goals or "challenges" along the way that will help me work it out. I have spoken of a foodie education, learning about different cuisines, how to source and prepare food.

I have recently discovered another piece to the puzzle. This is a story, so bear with me!

Once upon a time, as a young girl, it was a thrill to visit my parents at work. My father was a mechanic and on occasion I would be allowed to go and spend a day with him at work. The first thing I wanted to be when I grew up was a mechanic. I think initially I was drawn to this as I loved spending time with my Dad and day at the workshop also meant an early trip on the train to Sydney (we lived on the Central Coast), followed by a chocky milk and pastry from the cake shop for breakfast. My Dad is no longer a mechanic, but I still love the smell of motor oil and grease as it reminds me of him.

As I got older and became more interested in growing up as quickly as possible, I wanted to work at the hospital where my Mum worked in the research and human resources department. I was still young, but desperately wanted my Mum to be at home with me (in fact, there are times when I pleaded with her to not go to work the next day so hard which, in hindsight, must have made her feel so guilty!). Again, the draw card of being with her teamed with the prospect of wearing 'mummy noise' or 'clip clop' shoes and dressing up to go to an office seemed pretty good to a 7 year old.

I fell in love with the sea around 10 and thought marine biology would be amazing... until I got to high school, worked out how long I'd need to spend at uni and the results I would need in science to get there changed my mind.

At 15 I settled on journalism and even did work experience on one of the popular teen magazines, staying with my relatives in Sydney and eating lunch by the bridge. I already knew which university I would apply to and topped the grade in English. Unfortunately my work experience consisted of filing old issues of the magazine in a dingy store room and sorting mail and painted a very different picture of what journalism might be. I did get sent to a photo shoot with Billie Piper, a fleetingly popular British pop starat the time, but given my favourite bands at the time were Nirvana, Offspring, Metallica, Blink 182 and Korn I had to feign my interest. Now I understand these are the kind of jobs that get given to work experience kids but it really didn't give me any concept of what it was about and how it all worked.

Feeling lost and with no sense of direction I decided to leave school at the conclusion of the first term of Year 11 and pursue a career in... well... um... retail? I had an after school job at a bakery that I adored. I loved dealing with the customers, helping make/prepare the cakes, bread and slices and was quite taken with the lady I worked with who's parents owned the bakery. She was younger than I am now at the time but married and 'so cool!' (for any gen y-ers that translates to 'totes amaze'). My parents weren't overly convinced at this desire and, whilst my Mum was furious and distraught that I was leaving school, my Dad was much calmer and agreeable on the basis that I learnt a trade or did some sort of course that would give me a qualification. So off to TAFE I went to study Business Admin.

From there I have spent the last 10 years working my way up from an office junior to where I am now - feeling lost with a vague sense of direction. I have lots of great experience but minimal qualifications. With the responsiblity of bills, groceries and putting a roof over my head the moves I make now are much bigger decisions that unforutnately involve bringing in a certain income as a minimum. The hospitality scene is ruthless and businesses, even the successful ones, open and shut almost as regularly as I change my underwear. Discussing this over tea with my Aunt, she mentioned having read something that suggested to open a restaurant you need $1 million to put towards your first year. Scary? Definitely. Risky? Certainly. Achievable? Yes, but not in the near future.

I have been saying for so long that it is the sharing aspect of food and hospitality that I love. I love cooking for other people. Bringing people together for a meal, homecooked or out. I love discovering new places to eat and drink, and when I find them I want to share it with the world so others can enjoy as well.

'GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!', you say.

I have decided to study online ... Journalism, including photography, styling and maybe graphic design as well. Not just to become another food blogger and instagrammer! I have a grand master plan to work to now (and no I'm not sharing just yet, you'll have to stay tuned!), and it feels really good!