Decision

Well....I think I've actually made a decision.  I spoke to a friend of mine who is a chef, and I asked him about the realities of salary in the chef career.  He said it varies quite a bit depending on what kind of job you get.  He has made over $100,000.00/year as an executive chef at a restaurant in San Francisco, to as little as $17.00/hour as a Cook I as Disneyworld.  I decided that I can work with that.  I'm perfectly willing to re-locate when the time comes, so that I can make more money.  I just think that I will like this more, much more.  It may be intellectually lower than other career ideas, but it will give me much more of a creative outlet.  Not to mention how much fun the schooling will be.  

Now, I just have to find the money to get started.  I'm going to do both the Culinary Management and Baking & Pastry degrees at Valencia College.  I'm choosing Valencia because I can't move right now, and this school will be much cheaper than most, since it is a state school.  Fortunately (once I get Florida Residency back for the summer semester and beyond), the whole program should only cost around $12,000 (which over 6-7 semesters, isn't bad).  I just need about $4000 for the first semester and around $1500 each thereafter.  My only option is to get a private loan (which I don't know how much success I'll have with), or find a guardian angel who will loan/give me the money.   I guess I can always try the lottery as well.  I just have to pay for the first semester by 12/16 and I can finally get started with school again.  :)