Fairy Tale Endings...

(not mine but someday soon a place very much like this will be)

Let me begin by saying that there are so many things that I want to be when I grow up!  I have so many interests and varied talents that my problem has always been that big commitment to just one, or to finding something that encompasses enough of those interests to meet my needs.  I have been yelling at myself for years to "JUST PICK" already and get going on it, only the problem is that I am 14 years into my current career and rather stuck.  I am good at what I do and make enough to get by, but this was never supposed to be permanent.  I am a single mom and a very hard working one at that, and with all the time and money that this requires, I just cannot seem to find time to fit myself into the equation. 

As most of you know I LOVE to create with food.  It has been a passion for years and I have been leaning towards making this my chosen career path for awhile now.  I want so very badly to go to the CIA to be trained as a classical chef/baker, but alas it is an impossibility.  I only live an hour and a half away, but for the life of me I just can't seem to figure out how to fit it in without everything else falling down.  I didn't go to college when I was younger, having taken a job right out of high school instead.  I didn't even consider it at the time, not understanding how very important that stretch of life could be to your overall career.  Well now I am ready.  I have finally "picked one" and decided what I'd like to do going forward.  I have these huge dreams and aspirations of being the owner of a bakery/cafe/catering business that I will call Fairy Tale Endings .  It is crystal clear in my mind and I can feel within, that this is it, this is the one!  There are of course a few obstacles that I must overcome to get anywhere near this magickal place of mine, but I think I am finally in a place that they are feasible.  So here is were I'm at... 

1.  I need to build enough time into my schedule to go to a local culinary program at night, while still working full time and not taking that time away from Raine.  Yes, I realize that this is a tall order and will not easily be accomplished, but it is possible and I can work with that.  

2. I need to really get my finances in order, both to afford school and make sure that all the added pressure of outstanding debts are no longer weighing on me.  I'd also like to sack a little away for emergencies, so that should my lovely car break in the midst of this crazy schedule, it won't bring everything tumbling down. 

3. I'd also like to start up the catering portion of my company, get the name trademarked, a few supplies and monogrammed aprons, and begin taking on some gigs to get the name/taste out there.  This hopefully will help supplement some of my day job income and make the transition smoother as I get close to graduation.  I'd like to be in business before I finish my degree and be able to make the catering company my full time job shortly after I get out of school. 

This being said, there are a great many things that I have to do in the next five years (my proposed timeline to leave GE) and though it is scary to think of being self employed I am so very ready for this!  For the first time in my life I feel like this dream is possible! And though it will take a lot of work and determination to bring to life, it already feels real, like the magickal little cottage in the picture above, it is there just waiting for me to come and turn the key!

Over the next few years I'll bring you all along for the ride as blog about what it takes to accomplish my dream.  I'll write about the trials and tribulations of this amazing journey and what will hopefully result in Fairy Tale Endings for us all...