Hii fam!!!

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and well. Thank you for taking time to read this.

As you may know, I uprooted my life two years ago to pursue my culinary passions and embark on a culinary exploration. That exploration is now taking me abroad to Tuscany, Italy and Seoul, Korea, to continue my training and learning. I have created this International Culinary Journey Fund to help cover my flights, international health insurance, permits, experiences to further my culinary education, and living expenses while abroad. Here is a rough breakdown:

Flights ~$2,500

Health Insurance: ~$300-$500

International Driving Permit: $40

Spannocchia Program fees: $75

Living Expenses: ~$2,000

Culinary Education Experiences: ~$1,500

October & November lodging: ~$1,500-$2,000

As I reflect on completing 28 years around the Sun, I have been fortunate to be able to explore my passions and try to live in my truth over the past year. And I am deeply grateful for the blessings (including those blessings in disguise) that have come my way since moving back to Boston nearly two years ago to pursue my long-held culinary passions--a move that was certainly a leap of faith to follow my heart. If you've been watching my journey, you know that it has been exhilarating, exhausting, and deeply humbling.

I went from having no connections in the food industry and zero restaurant experience to going on to work for a James Beard-nominated chef, graduate from culinary school, and be selected as one of two culinary apprentices for a sustainability org in Tuscany, Italy.

My goals abroad are to hone my culinary skills, deepen my knowledge of farm-to-table cuisine, and become a more responsible chef. In Tuscany, I will be an apprentice training for two months under Spannocchia’s head chef to learn Tuscan traditions and models for conservation and sustainability. I also plan to head to Seoul, Korea, to learn from Jeong-Kwan, the revered Buddhist nun and chef known for her farm-to-table, plant-based temple food.

Your support of my journey would be an ahmazing 28th birthday gift--whether donating directly or sharing to someone you think might feel led. Thank you soo much in advance, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

<3

Vaneshia