Thank God for fast food!

I grew up eating home cooked meals. My mom, like yours, is the best cook ever, I still remember those Mexican dishes, maybe not the healthiest, but they sure were tasty. My favorite dish was and still is, Mole, it’s a thick sauce that has so many spices and delicious flavors like, chocolate, cinnamon, different kinds of chilies, accompanied by chicken breast and Mexican rice. My mom’s stuffed salmon was another favorite, and let’s not talk about dessert; she is a great baker too.
Fast food was not very common when growing up, my mom did not really like it, and I remember she would say “That is not real food, it doesn’t have any flavor.” Once in a while my dad would take me and my sister to get a happy meal from McDonalds. We really didn’t care much about the burger, but the fries were delicious. I think about it now, and I have realized that the only reason we would order a happy meal was because of the plastic toy.
I left home years ago, and unfortunately I never paid attention to my mom’s cooking. I am paying the price now. I live by myself, and I work from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, I go to school Mondays from 4:00 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. and Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. my point is that, I never have time to cook and when I do, the food never tastes as great as my moms, my chicken and pork are always under cooked and the beef is super well done, and the frozen vegetables always taste like plastic, I have tried to learn how to cook but for some reason, my meals are not the greatest. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong I have recipes for everything, even a recipe for how to cook beans, but no I guess cooking is not for me.
After giving up on learning how to cook, and since my mom is thousands of miles away from here, I needed a plan B. McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Toppers, KFC, Wendy’s, Subway, Dominos, Papa John’s, Chinese food, and the list can go on and on, have become my plan B. I know it’s not the healthiest, I have read and seen those documentaries on fast food, how the meat is process and all those disgusting things that go in it, but it is a lot better than eating burned food or undercooked meals. At least one of my meals for the day is bought at a fast food restaurant, once in a while, I’ll go to my aunts or my cousins for dinner, those home cooked meals taste like heaven, and remind me of my mom’s meals.
I do plan on learning how to cook. I know I can’t live for the rest of my life, if I want to live a long life, eating fast food meals. I hope one day my children can say “My mom is the best cook ever.”

History, Present, and the Unknown

Hello my name is Ana.  I graduated in 2004 as a dental technician, and after working for a couple of years in the dental field, I realized that teeth, dentures, crowns, and bridges, were not my passion. One day after work I sat in my couch and began analyzing my life, I discovered how much I disliked my job, and how much I complained about it. I kept complaining for the next year or so, until one day a little voice inside of me said "you need to stop complaining and start doing something about it!" I felt like a switch inside of me had turned on. Days later I enrolled in Oxnard College, a little hesitant at first, you see, I forgot to mention that I was born and raised in Mexico and the school system is a lot different than it is in the States, so it was a little challenging to figure things out. I was trying to figure out what classes to take, and my boyfriend suggested that I take a child development class, he explained to me what it was about, it sounded interesting, I thought it would be a good experience and it would help me be a better mother, if I ever had children, so I signed up for it. I enjoyed that class so much, and at the same time I discovered my passion. I realized how much I like children and how much I enjoy teaching them new things. I had finally found my passion.

             I am currently taking prerequisite classes at Oxnard College in order to transfer, hopefully soon, to California State University Channel Islands and major in Liberal Studies. I am still complaining about work, but I see that dislike in a different perspective, I see it as a motivation, it makes me try harder, it makes me want more. I am not going to lie, sometimes I feel like giving up, I am sure some of you know what I am talking about, I have a full time job and I take night classes, it is stressful at times, especially when there are essays due, or during midterms, and I can’t take a day off at work in order to study or do my assignments. All I can say is that I am doing my best. My present might not be full of excitement or adventures but I am preparing for a great future.

Every time I day dream about my future, there is a different ending, but they all end the same way …and they lived happily ever after. I see myself teaching and finally enjoying what I do, no more complaining about work. I will continue going to the dentist, but only twice a year for check ups and cleanings, no more eight hour shifts looking at others teeth. In the years to come I expect to be married and start my own family, I also look forward to spending long beautiful summers in Mexico, visiting my family and friends.