I grew up in a small town in Kansas (think lots of open skies, friendly faces, and not a lot of places to “get away”). A place where most people stick close to home. I grew up with a pretty simple, grounded life—nothing too extraordinary. But even from a young age, I felt like there was more out there for me. I had this insatiable curiosity about the world. I wanted to see different places, meet new people, experience local cuisine and life beyond the familiar. But like many of us, I got caught up in the day-to-day grind of working hard, paying bills, and never really giving myself the chance to step outside of that routine.

It took me years to work my way up into management and eventually become an Executive Chef running my own kitchen, and it allowed me to utilize one of my passions - cooking. It was a great fit for me until I hit a physical wall. The 80-hour weeks were draining my energy, I was constantly exhausted, didn't feel well, and I knew deep down that I couldn’t keep going like that.