The Evolution of RGF

If I had to define precisely which factors precipitated my plunge into the passionate love affair that has consumed me for nearly a year, I would probably put it all down to my two great indulgences: food and travel. I arrived in London on Monday June 30, 2008 with five suitcases, a broken heart, and instructions to meet my new boss at the Eurostar terminal. A fresh start in a new place was supposed to ease the separation anxiety provoked by recent and ceremonious cutting of my umbilical cord with Mother Harvard. “Consulting is for people who are motivated, creative problem solvers, and not afraid of  working hard and travelling far:” this is what the Career Services memo had warned me about. In hindsight, I don’t think any amount of mental rehearsal can prepare a person for the lived experience of battling one’s way through mild jet lag, serious sleep deprivation, and ambitious project deadlines.

Travel for business can be especailly grueling. In my short time in the working world, I have heard more than one colleague complain that the sort of travel required of the consultant is not travel at all- “I only saw the skyline from the airplane window and the inside of the client’s office.” While it is undeniable that business travel leaves less time for traditional tourist pursuits such as viewing a city’s historic monuments, perhaps it an overemphasis on experiencing a new place through seeing that causes dissatisfaction. Meals came to serve as a welcome respite from long hours in front of a computer screen, something to look forward to, a thrill to commemorate with a photograph.

When we travel it is the suspension of our everyday routine that can lead to new insights and sensory delights. By redefining what it means to have travelled according to the sensory experience of taste, no matter how many planes, ships, or trains I must board in the course of my personal and professional life, visiting new places will always hold a certain sense of wonder. Thus began my adventures in gastronomy.