everything is happenin' so fast

It for real feels as though I have been here for weeks, while in reality it has only been about three days-- craziness! Yesterday was the same old, same old...just a whole lot of orientation stuff that I already went through at Pace (and that anyone with common sense should know). But todaaaaaay, we all wore our chef whites! 

The outfit is definitely going to take some getting used to-- I kind of look like a lump of laundry in it because I'm so short...but, hey at least the pants are comfortable. During yesterdays orientation meetings we got our schedules and needless to say I was not too happy about the one I received. I really wanted AM classes so I could be finished early in the day, but of course received a PM schedule (first blah), THEN of course my roommate and my other friend got put into the same AM class schedule together (second blah), THEN I realized that my classes completely interfered with any crazy fun 21st birthday festivities that I thought I could have (third and final blah). I have class the morning after my birthday from 8:45am-5:05 pm, with one hour break. Time to check into real life, cause its getting way real...and I'm getting way scared.

On the brighter side, I'm still eating FABULOUSLY. Here is a two-day, Wednesday/ Thursday meal run through:

Yesterday for breakfast I had many insaaaane choices for breakfast; some including: Poached Egg "McGridlle"--which was on real pancakes with a maple hollandaise--PB&J Pancakes, Gruyere & Egg Scramble with Sautéed Onions, Eggs & Biscuits with Red Eye Gravy or, what I got, Eggs Benedict--my favorite:

It was super delicious and filling but since my stomach is stretching as fast as the days are going, when it came to lunch-time a full meal was perfectly fine with me. For this, we went to our first production kitchen in Roth Hall and chose the Cuisine of Asia. While waiting on line the Chef (which is what every 'professor' is called, no exceptions or you'll get ripped a new one) told me that my outfit was "spiffy" and I looked very nice...it was no doubt the highlight of my day since I've been totally stressing about finding appropriate business-casual attire. Okay, LUNCH! 

Top right was a Hot & Sour soup (even though we hate criticizing anything we taste, since we are no where near this level yet, Maggie and I found it was a tad salty), bottom left was a chilled Peanut Noodle Salad, and to the right was steamed White Rice & Bok Choy & Braised Pork Belly with Shiitake Mushrooms. It was all SOOOOO good, but of course there was room for us to share a chocolate chip cookie and piece of cake afterwards! And now, drum roll please...for the most nutritious and deeeelicious dinner of all time... a CIA delicacy that only the truly lucky get to enjoy:

I wasn't even mad, it will always be a guilty pleasure and tasty treat... this is college after all.

This morning, I got to sleep in a little bit (lol, 7:30) and skipped out on breakfast. But lunch was by far the most impressive yet. Not only was it sit down, and as formal as can be. But it was four scrum-diddly-umptious courses. I only have a picture of my main but, for an appetizer it was: a Romain Wedge salad with creamy Black-Peppercorn Dressing and a Crostini, we then moved on to a Senate Bean Soup topped with Bacon (they totally knew we were new because we kept giggling and calling it "Centipede" Soup), and then here is the main:

Seared Duck with Mixed Vegetables and a Wild Rice and Red Pepper Cake....the sauce was to die for and we all made the clean plate club.

Needless to say, I'm eating like a champion...but don't worry, last night we hit up Zumba and actually had a really good time. At first we looked, and felt, like complete fools but ended up getting a workout and plan on adding it to our weekly to-do's. Only one more day of this easy-going-yet-not-really-easy orientation schedule and then were thrown into the real craziness. I am scared, excited, anxious and a whole bunch of things all at the same time, but I honestly would not want to be anywhere else in the world.