“This will be the best experience of my life, as long as I don’t fall in love!” was one of the last things I said to my best friend after we loaded my mom’s van. The day was June 26, 1999. I’d been a high school graduate for approximately two weeks and was more than ready to begin my culinary education. The move from Cleveland to Pittsburgh was only a 2-hour drive, yet it somehow felt as if a whole new world was before me. As I stepped my foot on the ground of a brand new city, I couldn’t believe that this was all real. Standing in the registration room with dozens of kids who shared my same dream, I felt kinship and camaraderie. I was gleefully taking in the sights and sounds of my surroundings when I saw him.