resolution #4: continue to learn

When I think back on the myriad of work an educational experiences I've had to date, I am amazed. They make up who I am, and each of these experiences inspires to me continually expand my horizons. They run the gamut from a liberal arts B.A. to a top tier M.B.A. Being an Austrian exchange student in high school to circling the globe in college. Several years of a straight up learning curve while working for an investment bank, then heading to cooking classes at night. Throwing my first dinner party in a minuscule NYC apartment to running a wildly popular personal chef company. Learning the ins and outs of how a food product is marketed and promoted while working at a major food company to helping a smaller company understand their brand's perception and develop line extensions. Teaching healthy cooking classes to clients ages 6-60 to attending workshops myself and having 'a ha' moments.

And so, as my 4th resolution of this new year, I am making it a goal to attend an interesting speaker or workshop each month. Living in the tri-state area, this week alone the opportunities are plentiful. I'm going to share these upcoming events, in case you're local and you too get excited about continually learning and expanding your horizons in the food, cooking, nutrition and wellness arenas:

• Wednesday, January 18th 10-11:30am at Versailles Patisserie in Greenwich, CT: Adam Gopnik will be discussing his new book The Table Comes First: Family, France and the Meaning of Food.
• Also on Wednesday, January 18th at 12:30pm, Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy is hosting the Executive Director of the Congressional Hunger Center for a discussion of policy priorities for anti-hunger advocates. This is part of their ongoing speaker series, which you might want to bookmark.
• On Saturday, January 21st, Stone Barns will be hosting a TEDx "Changing the Way We Eat" viewing party from 10:30am-4:30pm, free of charge. I had hoped to score a ticket, but this might be the next best place to watch and discuss this game-changing event. Here's the schedule of speakers for TEDx (and a link to viewing parties near you, if Stone Barns isn't close by). This calendar of all upcoming events at Stone Barns might be worth bookmarking, particularly if you're interested in farming, gardening.

Then, looking forward to February, there's an exhibit called "Big Food: Health, Culture and the Evolution of Eating" at the Yale-Peabody Museum in New Haven, CT that I definitely want to visit. 

The school bus is going to rumble home any minute, so that's it for me for today. I'll let you know if I come across any other interesting sounding upcoming speakers/events!