After graduating culinary school, I spent some time in professional kitchens, interning in fine dining restaurants, to plant base eateries and eventually a brief stint as a line cook in Vancouver.
Yet, my true calling found me – as an Educator.
One afternoon, I received an unexpected call inviting me to join the opening team for a new plant-base culinary school (formerly Matthew Kenney, then PlantLab) at a resort in Thailand. I had never worked abroad before.
Despite my hesitations, I took my next leap of faith and said ‘Yes,’ venturing across the Pacific to a quaint (squid) fishing village called Pak Nam Pran. Surrounded by pristine beaches, lush forests and vibrant jungles, Pak Nam Pran was a picturesque, hidden gem.
Transporting myself from Canada to this secluded village, adapting to a new role in an unfamiliar environment and living where I worked - with little privacy - was definitely a surreal and at times, daunting experience.
But the most challenging situations often teach us the greatest lessons.
It was within the kitchen walls at Evason Hua Hin Resort that I learned,
How to adapt and think on my feet, when things go sideways - which they did, often!
How to influence a shift in mindset and habits.
How to bring out the best in people.
Holding space for others, inspiring - and being inspired - became an unexpected blessing.
I realized, teaching is a gift.
Yet, as much as I loved being an instructor, I started to feel the plateau.
The point where you sense your growth slowing and learning comes to a halt. I knew it was time to move on, to find a place to continue practicing my craft. Teaching and cooking, after all, are two very different things. As much as I enjoyed teaching, I missed cooking. I felt there was still so much more to learn.
Little did I know that a serendipitous encounter was about to change my fate, redirecting the path I would take next…