2) Turning to look back down the aisle at the beginning of our older son’s long-ago graduation from junior high school and discovering that, as the tallest Honor Roll graduate, he was leading the entire procession with a 500 watt smile on his face!

3) Dreaming very vividly one night many years ago that my father came to the side of my bed and was talking to me affectionately for about fifteen minutes before he said he had “to go now” , and waking up a few hours later to an early-morning phone call from my mother saying she had waited for a decent hour in my time zone to tell me that my Daddy’d died.

1. Watching my students grow every year into amazing human beings who learn how to carry their heritage and culture through their own outlets of reinventing food, dance and art.

2. I have grown up living 8 houses from my best friend since we were 8 years old. Every summer, we would sit in her driveway and watch the sunset while the heat pavement kept us warm until the stars came out to play. We didn’t even have to say a word to each other…it was always perfect. It is our fondest memory/tradition and this summer I turned 23

3. Having any of my food photos published on Tastespotting, FoodGawker, or Photograzing!