Marin mama is going to cooking school

Yes, you read the post correctly!  Marin mama is going to cooking school, and I START TOMORROW!  Yikes!  I’m attending the Natural Chef Program at Bauman College in Berkley!

Am I excited? Yes!

Am I nervous? You bet!  

Do I think I’m crazy?  Well, yes, sort of..

I wanted to share this BIG news with you all because I’m embarking on a path that many of you are most likely starting on as well. That path and questions is, “what am I going to do in the next phase of  my life” or better said, “what career am I passionate, inspired and driven to do in this next phase of my life?”

I’ve been toying all summer with the question of what’s next career wise for me?  What do I really want to do with my life going forward?  What am I passionate about?  What brings me joy? What could I do to support my family that’s going to pay the bills, but yet invigorate me, bring me joy and get me excited to leap out of the bed each morning? Hey, I need something more than just steel-cut oats and coffee to get me going 

I didn’t want to go out into the workforce and get a job just to get a job. I wanted something more than a just a job, I wanted a career!  So, I got quiet each day, listened to my heart and jotted down all of the things that I enjoy doing. What became clear to me is that I LOVE cooking, I LOVE food, I LOVE creating and sharing and I LOVE learning (ok as you can see there’s a lot of love there). It was then that I stumbled on Bauman’s website. I clicked on the Natural Chef Program and I got all excited and giddy inside. I said to myself,  “I WANT TO DO THIS!”  The big question was, could I do this? Could I afford to take 6 months and go back to school? My head was saying “NO,” but my heart was saying “YES!”  I sat the kids down the next day and told them what I was thinking of doing.  They saw my excitement and my enthusiasm and told me to GO FOR IT!  They understood that we would have to cut back and budget, but they didn’t care, they were proud that I was going after my dream, and they were genuinely excited for that! I want to share with you all a poem that Eli wrote in his own words, and had framed for me for my 45th birthday. These are his words, and this is what gave me the final push to just go for it…

I love this poem, because I love what I’m teaching my kids. I’m teaching my kids that it’s never too late to go after your dreams, or to change careers. I’m teaching my kids to follow their hearts and do what they love, to take risks and fully experience all that life has to offer. I have to admit that at this moment in my life, I’m truly happy, and I’m extremely grateful for all that I have. I have and feel more love and joy in my life than I’ve ever felt before, and I’m ecstatic that my kids can see that joy and feel that love, and I want the same for them!  I want them to grow up knowing that it’s never too late to go back to school, it’s never too late to learn something new, it’s never too late to follow your dreams, and that risks are worth taking because life is meant to be lived.  We’re the role model for our kids, and if we show them how to fully experience life, then they will fully experience life.  We need to do more than just talk the talk, we need to walk the walk.

I’m excited for Bauman for so many reasons. This Natural Chef program speaks to me, as it’s all about working with fresh, seasonal, organic, unprocessed, and local foods. It’s all about cooking for optimal health, and I’m excited for that! I want to fully understand the science behind cooking, and what ingredients and foods are best for optimal heath. This is really cool stuff to me, I mean I geek out with this sort of stuff. Cooking school will give me the confidence I need to go out there and teach, cook and create. I also want to share and pass on all of my knowledge to you guys, my readers and friends. Hey, as I said earlier, I love sharing, and I love sharing with all of you, that makes me happy inside, it truly does.

So this is just the start, this is only the beginning, and I’m not sure what and where this is all going to lead to. I’m taking a leap of faith and trusting that going to cooking school is the best thing for me, and the best thing for my career.  I trust that doors are going to open, and a career will be created. I’m taking that first initial step, because the first step is all we need to take, and it’s really the hardest step, but once we take that initial step, each step going forward will get easier and the path will get clearer, this I believe! 

I already have lots of ideas of what I can do during and after I finish this program, because the reality is I’m going to have to keep working in some capacity as I go to school. I know for sure that I want to teach! I want to teach teens, novice cooks and parents how to cook, cook for health, and cook for fun!  Hey, maybe someday I’ll have my own cooking school/cafe and offer catering. I’m dreaming big here peeps! I’m also thinking in the meantime of offering in-home private cooking lessons, pantry and kitchen organization, catering small parties. Those are just some of the ideas I have.

So this is the first post of my journey. I’m thinking of writing a weekly post sharing my journey with you all. I know there are so many of you out there that are going through the same life/career transition, and maybe by sharing my journey with you, it will help you to make that first step.

Oh, I’ve also started another Instagram account in addition to my Marinmamacooks account, called Marinmamaliving.  Marin mama living will be more of a lifestyle account that will capture more of my daily life and my cooking school journey, so if you’re interested, follow along with that account as well

xoxo, Jacquelyn