In memory, everything seems to happen to music...

I have been encouraged recently by many friends to restart my blogging, especially as I embark on this new adventure in New York. I also can't help but think that my time here will go terribly quickly, between the early, long work hours, and the sheer brevity of my externship, and I imagine that there will be much I want to remember. So, I'm committed to keeping this blog updated regularly as a chronicle of my culinary adventures. I arrived here, Tarrytown, New York, five days ago, after a cross-country road trip that was both excrutiating in length, while simultaneously being far too short on time spent with loved ones. Stops along the way in Salt Lake, Denver, Chicago, and Jamestown helped to ease the monotony of the drive, and there were beautiful faces of friends and family at each stop. My arrival here was premature, as I don't actually start at Blue Hill until tomorrow, but I have had time to explore the city a bit, including a lovely and unexpected day of adventure with MarMar and Jon. After spending the weekend in DC and finally meeting the beautiful baby Miller, I found myself back in Tarrytown last night, and already this feels like a sweet place to lay my head for a few months. I am eager to start work tomorrow, though there are still the nerves of starting a new job, especially in the kitchen of Dan Barber! How quickly the time has passed since moving to Oregon only a short year ago, and harder still to believe I am facing the reality of a dream that was once tucked very deep inside of me. I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunities I've been given and for the encouragement that has been heaped upon me by so many friends. And, as always, I am reminded that what I seek is balance, not bliss. The quiet calm in the face of chaos, not the absence of it entirely. I am eager to learn more about baking, and in the process, more about myself as a baker, and I can't imagine a better place in which to do so. So, here is to the journey, wherever it may take us.