My biggest hurdle was doing a job I loved because of how it affected my life outside of the kitchen.

I was a line cook at a fast-paced high volume Italian restaurant and when I was there, I loved it. It was fun, I loved the cooks, I loved learning all the stations, I loved when we tried new dishes, I loved the rhythm and communication of working in tandem with seven other cooks on a Friday night.

Unfortunately for me, my girlfriend, and the rest of my family, that fun all took place on Wednesday through Sunday, 2pm to 10pm. Usually closer to 11pm on Friday and Saturdays. Even though I had so much fun working in that kitchen, I never got to see my girlfriend who worked first shift, I never got to go to family parties or cookouts because they had weekends off and I'd sit around with nothing to do on a Monday and Tuesday.

I couldn't do it anymore. I totally sold out and became a school lunch lady. Now I scoop control-sized portions of mashed potatoes and slices of pizza. In some ways it's completely worth it. Wayyy better pay, amazing benefits package (although anything is better than essentially nothing, which is what most kitchens I've worked for offer), a team of 15 WONDERFUL lunch ladies that make my days laid back and fun, and a pace that's so amazingly slower and easier than the big kitchen.

Overall, I think I made the right choice, but I miss that kitchen. I miss the heat, I miss the swearing, the knives, the fire, the yelling, the chef coats...I miss getting out at 10pm and bombing to a convenience store to buy beers and cigars and meet up at one of the cook's apartments to watch dumb Youtube videos and catch a buzz.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.