Have you thought about chucking it all and heading out there? Here are the stories, the recipes and the pictures of my trip around the world. Food is personal. So let's do just that, by sharing the tale of my almost year-long, journey. Stories of and recipes from the places I explored and the things I learned, inward and outward, along the way. How I sold all that I had, wandered, got lost, found my way, discovered, ate, cooked and shared marvelous and delicious food. Born and raised a tiny village in upstate New York, I am a culinary veteran with over 30 years of experience working in restaurants, catering, in the natural foods industry, and as a culinary educator. Now, I find myself to be a 49-year old, dedicated devourer who prefers street food to a typical white linen fine dining experience. I was a winner of "Denver's Best Home Chef" contest, appeared as a guest chef on several morning programs and once competed on an obscure Food Network trivia game show, where I came in 2nd and won a year's supply of Jordan Almonds and Junior Mints. And now I have a podcast, "Something About Food?" so that I can carry on that world of food conversation with diverse guests. Noodles, dumplings, lentil dishes, and far too many pan au chocolats went into this chef's wander. I visited 18 countries, met 3 donkeys, lost my favorite pair of plaid Chuck Taylors in Marrakech, and was gratified to be able to experience the world, and see it as the messed up, wonderful, and joyful home it is. I was a solo woman abroad, traveling in foreign lands, but I found myself at home almost everywhere I wandered.