My American Dream

Saturday, I spoke at one of the largest, swankiest libraries in the area. The Vancouver Community Library. The place is amazing! It has five floors, totaling 83,000 square feet. On the fifth-floor there's an outdoor terrace with a view of the Columbia River - spectacular!

I arrived early to take it all in, and to set-up: Make sure the microphone was working, add a few more slides to my presentation, get the feel of the room. As I walked around the 2,000 square foot Columbia Room, I was beaming with pride, satisfaction. I am one lucky gal, I thought to myself. I am living the dream. My dream. For a long time, I was chasing The American Dream. The dream of my great-grandparents generation: Go to college, get married, buy a house with a picket-fence, have 2.5 kids, and retire from a company with a pension. That worked pretty well for that generation, but I'm from the new school. A generation who seizes opportunities, creates opportunities.

I decided to pave my own path. I found a niche. I started blogging, and sharing my weight loss story to anyone who would listen. I didn't really know what it would lead to, but so far so good. I've been active in the community: Speaking in venues such as the Vancouver Community Library, hosting cooking classes and sharing my love for good real food at Chuck's Produce & Street Market, having my Simply Unforgettable Tomato Soup sold in the deli at New Seasons Market, and authoring not one, but two cookbooks in less than a year. I've seized opportunities, probably even created a few. I'm grateful, thankful and full of pride and joy. I am living my American Dream.