Hello and thanks for reading this blog. The idea is to give a perspective of what it is like to go from a small Midwestern city to the largest Metropolis in the United States. It just so happens that small city is Manhattan, Kansas and is called the Little Apple, which makes it a fine contrast to New York City, aka The Big Apple.
I have been a resident of Manhattan, Kansas since 2000 when I arrived to do a tour at nearby Fort Riley for the U.S. Army. I am originally from Sacramento, California which I hope will give me an objective perspective on the contrast of life in the Midwest vs life in New York City. In addition my travels have brought me to many of the major metropolitan areas of the United States, however New York is one that has eluded me until now.
This journey will be made by myself and Jenn Green, my fiancee. She will attend the Natural Gourmet Institute of Culinary Arts in New York City beginning in September 2010. While she is there, I will be taking in the sights and sounds of New York City and writing about our experiences.
Jenn is quite a contrast to me in the traveling regard. She has lived in the Little Apple since she was four years old, but has been able to make it to a few of the major cities for vacation such as St. Louis, San Diego, Chicago and Atlanta.
Jenn's motivation for attending the school is to bring natural, whole and organic foods to the community. Currently there is not a restaurant option in Manhattan, Kansas that offers organic cuisine. She has always wanted to own her own cafe/bakery and this is her next step in doing so. She chose this school because she wanted to learn about the healing power of food. In 2009 she was diagnosed with Graves Disease which means she has an overactive thyroid. Generally, the recommendation of doctors is to get it treated with Radioactive Iodine, but she is trying to treat it through holistic medicine and natural foods instead. The Radioactive Iodine actually burns away a portion of the thyroid in order to try and make it normal. The patient usually winds up having to take a pill the rest of their lives to offset this. In essence, it is trading one problem for another. We both believe in the body's ability to heal itself, so she chose the natural option after researching the subject and learning from others who are managing Graves themselves.
What I hope to do with this blog is write about sights and experiences, while giving readers insight into an event or place. We are believers in the idea that we are all one, and I will do my best to be positive throughout my posts. Whatever your reason for reading this blog, thank you and we hope you enjoy the journey as much as we will.
