Have you ever wondered what it would be like to move away from your home to a new place, to do something you want to do? When I was eighteen, I found out all the horrors and pleasures upon moving from Cameron, Oklahoma where there isn’t even a general store we only had on convenience store to Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania where they had a Starbucks on every corner; just to attend culinary school. The day my adventure began still resonates with me. It was a clear summer day of July 2008; not even a cloud in the sky .
The warmth of the sun bearing down on my pale skin,and the gentle breeze rolling in like a ocean wave across my hair, while my mother and I sat outside her modern brick house, which, always seemed to smell like homemade marinara; The smell so intoxicating it could make the meanest of people happy. Since i just graduated about a month ago, so we began to talk about the future and what i wanted to do with my life. Mother asked, “Where would you like to go for college? I replied, ” I would like to go to culinary school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Looking appalled, she exclaimed, “Why would you wanna go to Pittsburgh! I said that i heard about this school form an advisor that came to my school my last year. I tried to explain my reason; However, with everything i said she seemed increasingly upset. I could see her soft chocolate brown eyes widen from behind her thick, plexiglass-like glasses, and she constantly ran her hands through her short, golden brown hair, just like she did whenever she became upset. Even though she was upset, she still maintained good pose. not a single wrinkle in her emerald green shirt that transitioned into black. ot even a wrinkle on her translucent pale skinned face.
Standing, she brush some dirt off her black slacks,stormed off, her black and emerald shoes stomping to showing her anger . I knew the battle will be rough. After hours of fighting, I finally convinced her to let me go. Couple of weeks later she took me the the bus station, a cold, bleak place that smelled like iron and sawdust, and housed sad and lonely people. My mother bought me a ticket and kissed my forehead just like we all do when we say goodbye to a loved one.
She walked out, got into the car, and she drove away I felt a loneliness sink in for the first time; I felt sad almost to the point where i could just sit down and cry. Looking around at all the empty green and yellow plastic chairs. I grabbed my bags and sat down,waiting for my bus to arrive, and my life to begin. I finally arrived a hour later, I got on the bus to begin my 14 hour trip while looking around at the people they all looked like they should have been on Unsolved Mysteries. I feared the worst, and not sleeping a wink the whole way there.
When I finally made it to Pittsburgh, I took a shower, for I stunk so badly that a skunk would not even come around me. Then I made my way out in the streets of pittsburgh. The streets were alive with all the people and loud sounds of city life. It was all like a dream come true. I made my way to the Art Institute where, I met my advisor Kelly; she wore a long red flowing dress and reddish black high heels, her hair as black as night, her eyes were the prettiest hazel eyes I had seen. She lead me up to a room to fill out paperwork. while I applied for my financial aid she went to check something for me .
She came back a couple minutes later, and she told me that I did not have enough money to attend this semester. I was devastated! So worried about what I could do for money, at that moment i got up and left the institute. Walking down the street that smelled like fresh water and good food due to some food vendors that seem to be around every corner, i started to cry. I keep telling myself that i made it this far,and to not be able to afford my schooling. I became determined, the more i thought about what happened, and what i needed to do to make it in ,and get my diploma
A couple of months passed I had stayed in the city, and found me a job as a alternative model; for a modeling group in city. It was fun dressing up in different outfits, even though some of the outfits looked old and tethered they were as soft as newborn puppy’s fur, smelling like fresh linen and lavender. Even though I had the money I needed for enrollment, the paperwork filled out, and i have been talking to kelly for the past couple months about my enrollment i was still scared, like a child lost in a store not able to find my mother. Nerveless I enrolled in school. I went every semester for that next two years.
Even though the first couple months was rough trying to balance work and go to classes, but i surpass that, while remaining a model on the side to keep up my financial needs. I felt great at my graduation to see all the red and white caps and robes like a abstract painting from a museum. I knew that even though I had a rough and scary time getting to this point; i had finally succeeded in my goal, to become a licenced cook. Just like Walt Disney said “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. I believe in that now that i have experienced it for myself.
