![\"photo](\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/gastronomyblog\/files\/2013\/01\/img_0278.jpg\")
<\/a>Well, it\u2019s one thing when you\u2019re a teenager, but for a thirty-something (or even twenty-something) adult, the experience can be just as nerve-racking. Imagine you just picked up and left the life you had \u2013 a successful career, a city you knew well and loved, friends, community, your \u201cdeep bench\u201d \u2013 to pursue a Masters degree in Gastronomy, your passion and something many people have never even heard of (\u201cDid you say Astronomy?\u201d, \u201cOh! You mean cooking school?\u201d, \u201cDon\u2019t you have to go to medical school to do that?!?\u201d<\/i>). It\u2019s daunting to walk into a room full of strangers for an orientation; you may as well have a sign on your back that says, \u201cI\u2019m a beginner! Please be gentle.\u201d\u00a0 But you quickly realize everyone else is in the same boat, and you start to relax.<\/p>\n
As we settled in and began chatting, I realized I wasn\u2019t the only student who relocated a fair distance to attend the MLA in Gastronomy program; one student moved here from California, another from Dubai\u2026 Seventeen of us are embarking on this journey together (including one Food Studies Certificate student), each with a unique story about how we got here (check out our bios<\/a>).<\/p>\n The formal orientation began with an introduction by Dr. Rachel Black, Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator of the Gastronomy program.\u00a0 Recent graduate Natalie Shmulik spoke about the Gastronomy Student Association, a group of students who put together events and lectures each semester, and encouraged us to get involved.\u00a0 Dr. Black followed up with a brief overview of the Gastronomy program, and recommendations for achieving success and getting the most out of our time here in Boston.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Blair Newhard was prepping in the kitchen with assistants Audrey Reid, Rob Haley, and Gab Korakot, all current students in the program and graduates of the culinary arts lab.\u00a0 The new students were divided into four teams, each tasked with a recipe selected by Blair. We set about chopping, stirring and cooking, our uneasiness replaced with an immediate sense of community and common interest.<\/p>\n<\/a>