My first kitchen job

One of my biggest concern about this career change was finding my first job fresh out of pastry school. Fortunately, with the recommendations of my chef instructor, I landed a job as a pastry cook at Watermark on Kits Beach, an upscale casual restaurant serving West Coast cuisine. Coming from a corporate environment, working in a kitchen is a completely novel experience for me. For starter, it's physically demanding. I'm on my feet for 8 or 12 hours a day. There are no chairs in a kitchen. It's inherently dangerous. There are sharp stuff, hot stuff, heavy stuff that can cause serious injuries. I must be alert 100% of the time. It's an honest day's work. There's no slacking in a kitchen. :)

In retrospect over the past 9 months, I went from someone who's greener than a steamed broccoli to someone who's much calmer, faster, and more experienced. I learnt a great deal about dessert making, presentation, became better at dealing with stress, curve balls, working with others, and being flexible. Even though there are days that are filled with chaos, stress and a few heated conflicts, at the end of the day, I know that my work brings a delicious and memorable conclusion, an exclamation mark, to many people's evenings, and that makes it all worthwhile. It is a very satisfying and rewarding feeling. I feel very blessed that I am able to do this. I am having fun and getting paid (albeit not much, but still) for it! I am truly happy.

So, how do I know if I made the right career choice? I don't. I'll never find out what my life will be like had I stayed with my old job. Life is about choices and the journey. The destination is the same for everyone. It's how we live the days we have that counts. For now, I sure am enjoying the journey!