#Gratituesdays

{I spent the weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Food Writers Symposium. There was gratitude to be found all over the place!}

Returning to Sous Chef after a weekend away. There's no place like homme.

Premium cable. Maxed-out air conditioning. Bleached hotel sheets and so many pillows.

A hotel lounge with a cucumber-infused cocktail. It has the double benefit of relaxing anxious travelers and incorporating a serving of fruit into your day!

Charging said cocktails to my room. When you can leave your credit card in your wallet, it's kind of like being at an all-inclusive. Except not at all when you receive your final bill.

Stepping outside of my comfort zone. I'm normally the one who goes to a conference and sits in the back, on the aisle so I can make a quick exit. This time, I was front and center. A sponge ready to absorb it all.

Being my myself. Before this weekend, I'd never traveled by myself. Never eaten at a restaurant by myself. Never walked through a city by myself. And now I have.

Learning from pros. It's nice to be reminded that there are others out there that love food and writing as much as I do. And having the opportunity to learn more about it from people that do it every day is a wonderful thing. Because there's always more to learn.

Remembering that, at the end of the day, regardless of how I "Clark Kent" my way through the day, my nights and weekends are all about being Superman.

*****

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR TODAY?