I Couldn't Have Known

There are many things that happen in life that seem insignificant at the time but end up changing your course significantly in the long run. Since this weekend in Lyon, three days have gone by. Being back in Yssingeaux, I was thinking that my life was pretty boring for these 3 days and was debating even posting at all... then, something pretty cool happened. Monday I went to class for my first day of breads. I was so tired that I came home and napped and then handwashed a TON of laundry because it costs almost 9 dollars to do a load here. Its crazy. But Tuesday, I met Alain Ducasse... which was cool, but suddenly became significant when...

BAM!

Yes. The above photograph is today's newspaper. In French. Cause I live in France. and...That is me on the front page. With ALAIN DUCASSE. Standing in the breads lab during class. It just doesn't quite feel real... For those of you who don't know who Alain Ducasse is, you should google him. You will see his many restaurants and you will see that these restaurants are very well respected... some even have Michelin Stars which is a HUGE deal in the culinary industry. Over Ducasse's career, his establishments have earned 21 stars. Only 2 chefs have done this. And I got to spend time with him! (He happens to be a co-founder of my pastry school in France.) We had a question and answer session with him and afterwards, many of us ambushed him for pictures! Including myself... I was SUPER cheesing...

Then he came to our lab and hung out for a bit... it was pretty fantastic! So, today when all the excitement had died down and I was having a pretty lousy day  (I cut the heck out of my hand on the sharp edge of a cabinet... How the heck that even happens... I don't know) It was a VERY cool surprise to get word that I was in the newspaper! I promptly went and picked up 4 copies cause I was so excited. That part is a little embarrassing...

But, back to my original plan for this post: 

I couldn't have known when I started this trip that I was going to see Alain Ducasse while I was in France. I definitely didn't think I'd be able to talk to him. I REALLLY REALLY didn't think I'd ever be in a French newspaper either. 

I also didn't know that cutting my hand would lead me on a band-aid hunt to another lab... full of French pastry students! Turns out they had been pretending to not know any English, but when they saw me bleeding everywhere they were nice and I met my goal of finding a french friend! They were really nice and I'm hoping I can talk to them some other time in less bloody, gross circumstances.

So, here I sit... attempting to read a French Newspaper, sipping on fancy apple cider, type-ity typing up my blog. And All I can think of is how everything is awesome here. Even if it starts out as lousy... it turns into something worthwhile! There are plenty of things that I cannot predict are going to come out of my experiences here... So, I'm going to sit back and live it. 

Au Revoir, Friends. Until next time...