farewell, february

february has been one crazy month. super crazy and emotional. a lot of highs and lows. mostly highs, but the lows were bummers.

high: got a promotion & raise and word of a very attractive bonus. both surprises.
low: found out bonus getting paid later than expected. lost opportunity to give two weeks' notice.
low: stayed home on doctor's orders. had the super nasty cold going around.
high: had a fun dinner at a friend's restaurant. got spoiled.
high: picked up my brand new business cards which i love!
high: pizza dinner and good conversation with s&s
high: out-of-town friends visit and we have tapas dinner, resto run by a couple super guys
high: a full day of seeing friends, hanging out and sharing stories and hugs
high: finally checked out benu together. the eel feuille de brick is still my favie dish.
high: metaphorical pink balloons, champagne and floating on clouds
high: shared life-changing news with family
high: had dinner with high school friends. shared news and celebrated with champagne
high: finally met baby noah and confirmed that he really does smile and giggle all the time!
high: had going-away dinner with family and made announcement
high: casual but fun dinner at resto next to nudie club. again, got spoiled.
high: final happy hour with friends. shared story over and over again. tons o' hugs.
high: finally met up with one maid of honor to share news
high: dinner with friends, made by other friends. spoiled.
high/low: moving day. realization that it's all really happening.
high: the four parents meet (!)
high: got final paycheck (!!)
low: broke the news of my departure
high: dinner at the restaurant where we had our first official date. again, spoiled rotten.
high: last day at the office. lots of congrats and hugs.
high: up, up and away!

One more thing...

*Picture Clicky*

Image from here

Twas the night before leaving...

Yep, that's right, it's finally BEGUN. We've scrambled all weekend, scratch that, all year long long, gotten as much in order as we can, and still have more than a few things to take care of before we go. It's probably been the craziest month we've ever experienced, and we wonder how we can be ready for even more. But all that doesn't matter because in just about 24hrs it doesn't matter whether we took care of things or not, it's time to blow this popsicle stand! So until we get a chance to post again, I'll just leave you with 81,000 words on what we'll miss the most from home.

the final countdown

two. more. weeks. crunch time. seriously.

so we had a little get together over the weekend in oakland. (thanks to all those who made it out, even if only for a taco, a little scoop of sorbet or a mouthful of fried chicken!) it was so awesome to see everyone. we all get more and more busy as we get older, and it definitely gets harder to make plans to see people. so it was fun to see so many of our friends come together, hang out and catch up with each other. i especially enjoyed seeing the diversity among our friends in terms of where we all are in life: major career changes (us), pregnant (not us), raising infants and toddlers, glowing in newlywedness, excitement of new coupledom, in the thick of wedding-planning and everything else that can't be easily classified

hope to post pictures from that day soon, but i'll let aj take care of that part =)

1 year later

Photo by hwangers

It's 2:26PM on Monday February, 7th, 2011. I just woke up about an hour ago...and I've come to realize that while this journey is about myself, about me trying to develop the skill and ability to walk into any kitchen: to be myself always and more so, this journey would be impossible without the love, dedication and straight up hard work of the people who I've just said farewell to. And at its core, these are more than the people I just worked with over the past year.. they have become the wind at my back, my comrades in arms, or any other pithy phrase that doesn't even begin to capture what they have meant to me. People tend to talk about having a "mentor", some singular individual who shepherds and guides, who influences the most. Well, I certainly have that, but in this case, when I walked into the kitchen, I gained a whole crew of mentors. Each person brings with them what already seems like a lifetime of experience and totally different approaches to the everyday. Of course, not every day is about love and fun. There have been plenty of days of anger, of disappointment, of failure and struggle. But this shit...what we do, is hard. The stakes are very real, and past a certain point there is no backup. On top of that, every minute counts...and on top of that, there are days where it seems like no one who sits down even gets what we do.

In the end, our greatest product, comes not from what one single individual can do. In isolation, there's only so much that can be accomplished. However, when you get together a whole group of hard charging, resilient and able people together, give them a singular goal, they begin to grow together. To act like one body with many parts...each one off in a different direction, but with an awareness for the body as a whole. I have become amazed at this product. Not only for what we send out on plate after plate every night, but for how it strengthens each of us every day. When I began, I was simply floating in space...working hard, sure, but ultimately only contributing maybe one or two minor products a day. Now, when we stop and think about the day, we become amazed at how much was done, yet even hungrier to be able to do more. Hungrier to help the cook next to you do even more. Kill your prep list and then help someone out with theirs....it's the only way to learn, and it makes productivity multiply.

All I know is that I have been fortunate to have been a part of this body, to have these people always having my back, to be able to turn to any one of them when I get beaten down, to grow as part of the whole. To learn what it means to push.

And wherever I go, I know they'll be watching...and I refuse to squander what they have given to me.