Have you ever thought you had life figured out? I sure did. I had a job turned career, house, marriage and all the baggage that came with it. But as much as we can plan you try and foree what is going to happen, life can sure be winedy. A broken leg, being laid off, 3 surgeries, divorce, losing my home and a couple life or death trips to the hospital really helped me reshape my life into something very different than it was. I decided to go back to school and persue a craft in Culinary Arts, that I am not only good at, but have an incredible passion for. I am part of the first group of students that Auguste Escoffier School for Culinary Arts is offering an AoS degree in Culinary Arts! Part of the course is a 12 week "Externship", where students can go anywhere that they wish as long as the restaraunt meets the schools criteria of: 29 hours a week, 90% time in the kitchen, 50% of the food has to be made from scratch.  
              Learning as much as i can from classroom, kitchen and chef instructors , I have found that learning cookery and its history can only be done so much without trying to experience its roots in real life. Of all the places we have learned about, techniques and final prodects, the country of Italy, specifically Florence, has grabbed my attention and wonder. Going thru all the twists, turns, ups and downs these last few years, I am in a very unique possision to travel in every way except financally. Which is what has brought me here.
                I want to see how other countries and cultures feel about and treat food. Not just we see from out little american bubble. Growing up in my head, I never needed to travel. Anything I needed to know i could learn. That was a very ignorant way of thinking. Most of what I was missing out on was people perspective. Not just my own bias. I really want to change how i see and feel about the world and the best way to do that is through an open mind, education and travel. I really want to do my externship in Florence and not just visit, but understand the people culture and how food ties into all of it. 
                  Thank you for reading my page and I hope you can help in anyway you can!
Thanks again!
George "Russ" Gibson