SO… HOW WAS IT I GOT HERE, EXACTLY?
Hello guys!
As some of you may know, two months ago I moved to Meizhou, a small city in Guangdong province, south China.
Last year I lived in Shanghai, where I landed after two years in Houston, Texas… Which is where I ended up after moving from Barcelona.
I know, I know… it’s kind of confusing – even for me!
Let’s rewind. Whether you’ve been following my journey for a while or have just heard about my work, you may be wondering why I travel so much. Lots of people move around for personal or professional reasons, but how many chefs do you see wandering around with their kitchens?
So I wrote this post to answer the most common questions I get from you. Hope you enjoy reading it!
WHY ARE YOU MOVING SO MUCH, GIRL?
Quick background…
My husband is a professional football (soccer) player. A year ago, he signed with a Chinese team. His profession is the main reason we’ve moved around so much for the last few years. He was playing for an American team, and before that he was on a Spanish team.
When we decided to move to the US for the first time, I was 30 years old. I knew the next few years would be completely unpredictable. I didn’t want to look for a new job in the States that I would have to quit when we moved again.
At the time, in Spain, I had a stable job, a monthly salary… and a feeling of deep dissatisfaction. But after quitting my job as a physics and math teacher in Barcelona, I realized I had no more excuses. I had to start doing something I was truly passionate about.
I remember the day in Houston, sitting with my dad in a library, having no idea what to do with my life, surrounded by cookbooks (as usual), when I told him: “Dad, food is what I’ve always loved the most. Don’t you think I should do something with that?” As always, he supported me. We spent the next few days driving around the city, looking into every culinary school in Houston. Although I thought I was too old (!) and I had problems owing to my visa situation, I was finally able to enroll in the baking and pastry program of Houston Community College. I had no experience, just tons of fears and insecurities, including the language barrier. I also realized there was no chance I could work in a restaurant or bakery, owing to our nomad lives. I must admit I was really confused at that time! Twice I almost quit, but somehow I knew I was in the right place, so I promised myself I would finish and get my pastry degree.
HOW DID DATES AND AVOCADOS START?
During my time at the pastry school, I was so obsessed with healthy eating that I couldn’t enjoy anything we were baking! That was frustrating, because I have a major sweet tooth. In fact, I was appalled to learn how many junk ingredients went into the desserts I used to love. But I was lucky to have a great chef for some of my courses, who advised me to experiment with different ingredients and come up with alternative, “guilt-free” recipes.
Meanwhile because my courses required it, I was taking tons of photos. At first I just used my phone, but soon I developed a deep interest in style and composition. I posted pictures on my personal Instagram account, with the sole intention of sharing with my friends.
I had almost finished my pastry courses when I discovered a famous plant-based culinary school and decided to continue my studies there.
I signed up for two online courses, and it was then that I rescued an old camera I had, bought a 50 mm lens and began to take pictures of every recipe and assignment. At the same time, I started a new Instagram account to share it all. That’s how @datesandavocados was born. Ever since, I’ve thought about nothing but food and photography!
I traveled to Belfast (Maine) and New York to complete my plant-based chef education. It was the most inspiring and challenging period of my life. My Instagram account grew and grew. I shared the raw cakes and desserts I was making at home. As my photography skills improved, I decided to upgrade my equipment with a Canon 5D and a macro lens.
Wanna know more? Keep reading the end of the story here
Other Journal Stories
The latest D&A news, events and travel stories.
What a lovely, inspirational and delicious journey~ thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for reading!
All the best,
Lore xx
Lore thanks for sharing your amazing journey, isn’t wonderful how we find our purpose in life and we continue to grow and teach others along the way…keep shining beautiful girl, you are an inspiration with food. Sending you loads of love & vitalityandmore, Arzu xx
Thank you so much for your kind message, Arzu! My face has a huge smile right now 🙂
Sending loads of love back to you!
Lore
Hi Lore… it’s Meera. This is such a well written essay of your journey. Thank you for sharing. Take care! Hugs and love….. Meera
Awwww thank you so much for reading, Meera! So glad you liked it!
Big kiss!
Lore xx
I like your cooking very much, they are beautiful and healthy.
Meizhou is not very far from Guilin, welcome to Guilin, and I will gladly be your free guide. 🙂
Hello Hudan!
I’d love to visit there one day! I will definitely let you know so I can have a guide 😉
Thanks a lot!
Lore
Love your journey of discovering your passion and creativity through healthy and delicious foods! I too have a sweet tooth and I love taking beautiful photographs so your Instagram page is easily one of my favorites! I look forward to reading more and learning more about you and the food you make. All the best!
Hello sweetie! Thanks a lot for your nice message. Unfortunately, I don’t live in Barcelona anymore but I do visit there many times. I hope you can join one of my workshops in the future. In the meantime, you can try any of the recipes from my website and ebook. I’d love to know how you like them!
All the best,
Lore
Hello, Lore~ I like your experience so much, you give me hopes for the work industry. I wish I can become a chef like you. I have a question about the famous plant-based culinary school you enrolled, Could I ask which school is it? : )
Hello Flora! I went to Matthew Kenney Culinary School, but it’s not available anymore. What kind of classes would you like to take? You can send me an email and I will help you with everything I can.
All the best!
Lore