Normally when I hear the word falling, I can only assume something is falling to pieces. I like to think of myself as a glass half full type of person but, this word alone always makes me assume the negative. I am currently falling, and for the first time in my life, I am falling into place. It's been one hell of a struggle. It feels like I've been fighting for about 10 years now. Fighting to figure out who I am, fighting to hold relationships together that weren't meant to be. I fought my way through my mom's disappearance, and re-appearance, and I also fought my way through college and onto graduation. Once I was in the real world, I fought once again to figure out what it was that I wanted to do with my life. After four years of not understanding what, or where I was supposed to be, I landed in North Carolina. Right here, right now, at this very moment, I can say with true honesty, I am finally falling into place.
Since early March of 2013 I have been running the Baguettaboutit Food Truck. Two men went out on a limb, trusted my honesty, capabilities, and work ethic and put me in charge of almost everything. In doing so, they have made my dreams come true. Maybe they know how much it meant to me to run
this operation, maybe they don't. I owe them everything because some people never know what it's like for their dreams to come true. I moved here just simply believing I could give myself a better life. I wanted to work in culinary and dreamed of having my own food truck, but this, this is way better. It was like jumping into the middle of an intense double-dutch game, and only seeing others use jump ropes, but never having used one myself, and saying, "I got this". It has been the adrenalin rush of a life time and everything I had hoped it would be. It has only been about 6 months and it feels so natural it's as if I've been doing this my whole life. I've officially been in North Carolina a year now and when looking back, I would have never guessed I'd be where I am today.
Food Trucks 101:
Love your job. As a food truck operator it would be nearly impossible to not love what you do. They are one of the most fun work environments I have ever seen and been in but, it is also very hard work. Some days more then others I am leaving the house around 6 or 7am and not returning until 11pm or later. The easiest way to get through the day is learning to take the good with the bad. There is prep-work, gas and propane issues, truck maintenance, employee hiccups, product tests, and the list goes on. The moment I arrive on site, get a feel for the atmosphere, and realize the only reason I am there is because people have specifically requested our food; it's an incredible moment. People start to get curious and before we know it, the line is down the street. It almost gives me goosebumps just sitting here writing about it. The whole process is just beautiful to me. People have seemed to really love our product so there are regulars now, along with the newbs. The "newbs" are first timers and are new to our truck. They approach with smiles on their faces and have about 20 questions before they order. After all, it's not everyday you see a fresh baked baguette get stabbed by a hot metal spike and stuffed with delicious NC sausage! These moments that I speak of are the moments where you forget you've been awake since 5 or 6 in the morning. You forget that your tired, and you don't care how late you're going to get home that night. There are orders being taken, tickets hanging over there grill, and the smell of sausage is lingering all over Duke Campus, or downtown Raleigh, Fayetteville st., or where ever we happen to be parked that day. To me personally, I love when the world is happy. I love that with simply handing someone a sandwich I can see them smile. Even if it's only for a split second before they return to their life and their own worries, it's still a smile.
Our food truck has big news we're about to release. I am going to wait until it is public knowledge to write about it in my blog but, I will say this; another chapter is coming. There is a new mountain I am about to climb and conquer, and I couldn't be more excited. I am very fortunate because the people I have found to be in my corner, and be my supporters in life, have been with my every step of the way during my new journey. With long days, late hours, and an ever-changing work schedule, my boyfriend has never given up on me. Through the ups and downs of making my dreams a reality this past year, he has stood right by my side. He is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me, and the only person that has ever made me feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. My parents are finally not as worried about me as they used to be. Must mean I'm growing up and making right decisions, right? I like to think so :) With my career and my home life, I can safely assume they know I am happy.
"Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness." -Anonymous
