the first step

It is really hard to think of something intelligent and inspiring to say in a very first blog post.  There is pressure that makes you resistant to start (and later resistant to click PUBLISH).  But starting is important. To reach your destination, you must start.  

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

So I will start with where I have been, where I am now and where I hope to go, knowing full well that I will get sidetracked along the way.  And that is ok.  Because as you will see, getting sidetracked has been working ok for me so far.

I went to University of Florida and got a Public Relations degree from the College of Journalism and Communications.  I don't know if I know why I chose that degree but ultimately it served me well as writing, investigating and planning public relations campaigns are useful skills to have.  After college, in my first major sidetrack, I decided to move to New York and get a culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America. That was a great adventure in and around New York City including some time working private wine tasting classes at Windows on the World at the top of the World Trade Center.  Back in Jacksonville, I got married and worked in the hospitality industry for many years.  Then, after a hiatus as a stay-at-home mom, I decided that families needed help getting healthy meals on the table and opened a gourmet-to-go market named Family Meal.  That was HARD work and long hours including nights, weekends and holidays.  Ultimately, my kids were still too young for me to work this MUCH so time to get sidetracked again.  Sold the business and got a job as a research assistant at UNF.  Kept working there, moving from Physical Therapy department to Nursing.  Decided it was time to get more education.  Working in academia will have that type of influence. 

To incorporate my culinary background, I really wanted a Master of Science in Nutrition and was completely disappointed when I realized that is a full-time program.  In other words, you can’t work during the program.  That wasn’t going to work for my family, at least not at the time.  So I needed to try something else, a minor sidetrack to the Master in Public Health program.  In one of my first classes we watched this public relations campaign defining Public Health…

http://www.thisispublichealth.org/video_highres.html

And things clicked.  This actually made sense.   I might actually want THIS degree.  And so my journey began.  Each step takes me a little closer and helps me define the end goal a little better. 

As a side note, this past summer I took a Nutritional Epidemiology class as an elective.  The Nutrition graduate students were smart and engaging.  But it was evident that Nutrition was not the right place for me.  So I am thankful, for each time I have been sidetracked, it has taken me down a better path.  I can’t wait to see where it may lead me next.   And hopefully you will follow along with me.