I pride myself in the fact I always try to be there for my friends and family. It’s something that’s important to me – I like to feel needed. People just naturally tend to confide in me, which I appreciate and hold dear. But lately my friends and family have been going through some rather challenging times. And from 3,000 miles away, there’s not much I can do.

Two weeks ago, I got a heartfelt email from a dear friend of mine. I respect her in every sense of the world and think she’s quite amazing. Recently, she’s been going through a whole host of challenges and I can’t even begin to imagine how she handles them. I’m in awe of how strong she has to be (and how much I wish I was like her in that respect). But I’m completely powerless to lend my support. And email and a phone call can only go so far. I wish I could be there in person to help her through. I know how important it is to have your support system in place when you need it the most.

Last week, I got an email from my stepmother saying my dad’s truck caught on fire. As soon as I read that email, I completely panicked. Was he okay? Was he hurt? We he in the truck when it caught on fire? For a single, silent moment, time seemed to stand still. Here I am in Paris while he could be in a hospital somewhere. Thankfully I managed to get a hold of him. He was fine, he wasn’t hurt, and he wasn’t in the truck when it caught fire. I can’t begin to explain how relieved I was, but still I wondered was it worth being so far away?

We recently had a meeting with the top cuisine and pastry chefs about our upcoming internships. It’s time to decide where we want to be placed. One of the things they stressed is how much was at stake should we leave before the internship is finished. The school is very protective of its reputation and the reputation of the chefs. They do go out on a limb to present professional and polished students. But when a student breaks the contract, for whatever reason, those reputations tend to get tarnished.

And then they used an example. Evidently a student left her internship because her grandmother was sick. I would think that would be a very valid reason to leave. My friends and family are far more important to me. Shouldn’t I have the right to leave if something happened like that? Shouldn’t I be able to take care of those I love without damaging a reputation the school and the chefs worked so hard to establish? So I feel a little like I have golden handcuffs at the moment. I’m sure everything will go swimmingly and there won’t be any problems. But the thought does linger in the back of my mind.

So for those of you that are facing your challenges, even though I’m across and ocean and standing on another continent, I’m still here. It may feel a little different, but the sentiment will never change!

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