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Location: San Francisco, Northern Cali

GYPSY: (noun) One inclined to a nomadic, unconventional way of life. The first time I traveled alone I was 4. My mom pinned a note to my dress then put me on a plane from Atlanta to L.A. to visit my dad for the summer. That must have marked the beginning of my insatiable wanderlust because I can't seem to get enough of running away from home. In the mean time, I've spent my life between a career in the media and years in the hospitality industry. My independence has kept me single but that's a part of life when your first love is travel. I've been robbed in Australia and slept on a park bench in Amsterdam, but at the end of the day, I was on the road and that's where I'm most at home.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Ciao, CHOW...


The past two and a half years will be full of memories of the East Bay where I grew up. I saw old friends, enjoyed the natural resources of the Bay Area and tried to become grounded for the next stage of my life. Yet, the one constant throughout will be the days and nights I spent at CHOW. I got the job in October, 2003 and from the first day I felt like I was home. The friends I made, both with the staff and my amazingly generous and warm regular guests, have made me feel like I have a new family, right in my own neighborhood. Thanks to Ally for hiring me, to Jack for mentoring me, to Jeff Amber for teaching me about food, to Joe Conte for being a "good and fair" Republican, to Sharon for all those mornings, to Luis and Carlos for being my neighbors and friends, to Ray and Beth for helping me all those Mondays when no one else would, to Rob and Jeff for flirting with me relentlessly, to Brenn for talking ball and treating me like one of the guys, to Meg and Kathy for (you know what!) to Steve and Tracy for being the best parents ever! to everyone at the other CHOWS for being so cool, to Gene "you da man!" to the morning crews for putting up with my anal retentiveness, to Carmen for the awesome wine classes and the Berlin hook-up, to the entire Market staff for making me laugh, to Michelle for inspiring me to travel, for my baristas for putting up with me in general, to Jose and all the guys in the kitchen for calling me "la reina," to the bussers for helping me every single day, to my baby Nate, for sticking it out and earning what you rightly deserve, to Kara, Shane, Jimmy and the Thanksgiving crew!, to Schmolke and Branden for being more drunk and hungover than me, to Nick and Jeff for putting up with my notes, to Tony for believing in me, to Nate who finally started coming to breakfast, to Luca, my very first afternoon regular, and to Lori, my beautiful friend, who because of CHOW, will be like a sister to me for the rest of my life. You are the greatest gift I could have received out of this whole experience. Finally, thanks to all of my customers. Without you, I wouldn't have lasted so long. I'll never forget those days and nights, and I'll cherish you always...

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