Hello 22

Although there's nothing extraordinary about turning 22, I have a feeling this year will be full of surprises and adventure. Last year on my birthday, I went to a Spanish restaurant with all my coworkers in Germany and the year before I was celebrating at a karaoke night in Halifax, so it was nice to spend my birthday at home for a change. I dined with family and friends at Rioja, a Spanish restaurant in Houston where we asked the waiter to bring out a selection of their most popular tapas. There's something wonderful about eating family-style in a restaurant, sharing food with the people you love and slowly savoring each bite. I think it's something we've lost in the American food culture, and I wish we took the time to enjoy eating more often. After countless rounds of food (my favorites included the bacon-wrapped dates and the pulled pork over mashed potatoes drizzled in truffle oil), we continued with conversation and glasses of red wine. Just when we all thought we were too full to eat another bite, the server brought out a pan of paella big enough to cover the entire circumference of the adjacent table. Not wanting to let any go to waste, we each had a couple of forkfuls before having it divided between to-go containers. I enjoyed every moment of our Spanish smorgasbord, and I hope to make tapas an annual birthday tradition.

"If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel— as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them —  wherever you go." -Anthony Bourdain