About The Girl

Hello Fans, WAAFERS, and the curious!

I’m sure a lot of you want to know more about The Girl. Well, first off, that’s me!

People know me as Stephanie, I was born and raised in the biggest (and best) state called Alaska. A lot of who I am today is because of where I came from. Alaska not only brought adventure and curiosity into my life, but it also forced me to pay attention to my surroundings, to live off the land, and to be sustainable in nature and with food.

Shortly after, I would then move to Salem, Oregon where I graduated from high school and became curious about the environment. This is where I learned how to care for our wonderful home, Earth. My Biology teacher organized a group of students that would lead us to Costa Rica to plant trees; A place where my love for new places grew and after I left, I couldn’t help, but want more.

In Portland, Oregon, I would find myself enrolled in culinary school learning from an array of Chefs who valued the dignity and integrity of the ingredients being used. Simple was alway more, especially in Oregon, where there is an abundance of produce, animals, and seafood. It was a place where you could grow most things and a place where the residence would indulge in their own home gardens to let the ingredients speak for themselves. These beliefs have defined the Chef I longed to be and the Chef I am today.

Unfortunately, life got in the way and shorted my time in Portland. However, my new journey was about to begin in Charleston, South Carolina, where I would graduate college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Management. During my studies, I was given the opportunity to network amongst the city’s best Chefs and was able to work with them. The South really enjoyed good food done well; With Chefs who cared where their ingredients came from and how they were produced, ethically or not. They really cared and it inspired me to show the world that there is a better way of taking care of our plant, of our food, and to pay attention to the traditions of our ancestors before us.

These Chefs pushed me to leave, to go explore, and to travel in a way where I would learn about my industry, about different cuisines, and to search for all these hidden ingredients that were kept secret from my part of the world. After college, I would embark on journey that would bring clarity into my life, but also change it in all aspects.

I left the United States in 2015 and took a two year sabbatical as a solo female traveler. I explored all the wonders throughout Europe, found my appreciation in the simple life of Asia, validated my extreme curiosities in Africa, and found a home in Australia. Two years later, I’d find myself having been to 6 continents, 54 countries, and 25 US States.

And let me tell you, these were the best and most challenging moments of my life. I found friends in strangers. I indulged in foods that would surprised me. I faced my fears and took a leap of faith no matter how terrified I was. I was approached with struggles I never knew possible. I enjoyed wine in vineyards with people who accepted me for me and not from where I came from, even if they didn’t understand me. I shared several smiles, a million laughs, and uncontrollable tears. So many tears. I felt a magic I never felt before, a magic that would define what my life will continue to be like moving forward.

I still travel and I still cook, the difference now is that I have the stories to show for. Stories that would inspire those who didn’t know how, who were scared, and who have always dreamed of doing what I’ve done. But here’s the catch, you CAN! In the middle of reality, pain, or hardships, you can do all of the things you seek in your life and I hope that with reading my stories, I can give you a push to do so. To help you say enough is enough and to just go. To just take a step in following your dreams, to embrace your passions, and to fully and wholeheartedly live the life you deserve.

I’m a young chef, foodie, and an inspired writer. I started this blog to not only keep a record of my memories and thoughts, but to also share my passion, romance, and adventure with food as I travel. I put my trust into the world and let it guide my fate, as I want my fate to guide my writing. I look forward to see what the mysteries of life are in store for me. I don’t know where my travels and experieces will take me, but I know it will always surprise me. After all.. I am just a girl with an adventurous fork.