The Winter Garden

There are periods in your life that can’t be explained or recounted to show the magnitude of the impact they had on your life. If you are lucky there are people with you to share in the journey. These people become more than just your friends; they are inexorably linked to specific memories, places, and smells. One such period for me, was my semester in Luxembourg. For such a tiny country, it lives big. The professors were brilliant and passionate, the castle we studied in straight out of a fairy tale and the weekends of travel glorious. It was the first time in my life I realized that there was this huge adventure out there just ready to be grabbed. I have wondered since what would have happened if I wouldn’t have gone? Would have had the courage to live in New York, or the confidence to know I could conquer law school? Opening my old AOL account this morning I found an email from my favorite Luxembourg restaurant and all the memories and questions came flooding back. I spent hours upon hours in this restaurant with my (still) best friend Megan. We spent her 20th birthday upstairs working our way through one of the most decadent 4 course meals I’ve ever had (and a few bottles of champagne). It was also the first time that I realized how much I loved food. Wondering the Christmas markets, buying fresh produce and taking frequent trips to Paris (it is only 3 hours away) I learned what it means to really love and appreciate food. I hope you enjoy the pictures, the first are of Miami University, the place I left behind to go on my grand adventure. The next are of the castle in Luxembourg where I studied, and finally some pictures of my lovely restaurant Chiggeri and my beautiful friend Megan.