Becoming the Intern

One of the requirements for graduating from the Indian Hills Community College Culinary Arts Program is the completion of a six week internship. Having no idea where to apply (and completely ignoring the task of emailing pleas for acceptance) I finally sat myself down, researched vegetarian restaurants and sent out messages asking to sell my soul for the chance to work for them. This list consisted of a few restaurants in the San Francisco area; Chez Panisse, Cafe Gratitude, and Greens Restaurant.
As I clicked the send button on each of the emails, my heart stuttered. What if they say no? What if I don't get a reply? What if they ask for a resume and then decide I'm not good enough?
Calming myself down, I closed the computer. I had to keep my thoughts focused on getting the perfect internship. How wonderful it would be to work with Alice Waters, or learn to cook filled with complete gratitude at a vegan restaurant.... but what kept going through my mind was Greens. As much as I craved the possibility of working at these restaurants, something drove my heart to Greens. I would be more than excited to work at any of these restaurants, but I would be in complete bliss to work with Annie Somerville at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco.
Days went by without reply. Anxious, I imagined sending out thousands of emails and being accepted only by a vegetarian branch of McDonald's. When discussing my anxiety with Adam McGoldrick, one of my classmates, he admitted to me that he had yet to send out his requests.
I drug him to my room, sat him down with me and searched for the perfect bakery in San Francisco for him. Finally, we found his perfect match: Noe Valley Bakery. I assisted him in writing the requests to a few bakeries, yet after we found this one, the search was over. We sent the message, crossed our fingers and passed time going to a movie.
Upon our return, Adam ran to his computer. Not noticing, I took off my coat only to be interrupted by a gleeful shriek. Adam had received a reply from Noe Valley Bakery. I gave him a congratulatory hug, laughing hysterically, then I remembered that I still was still lacking an internship. In fact, I was quite butt-hurt at the fact that I had waited two days for no reply and Adam waited only two hours to be relieved of his anxiety.
Curiously, I checked my email. Facebook, facebook, real food challenge, food declaration, and Annie Somerville. Not fully realizing that I too had received a confirmation from the restaurant of my dreams, I opened it calmly, read, and sat in silence. It took no less than a minute, then I lept off of my bed into another hug with Adam, this time giggling wildly.
Thank you Astred. Please send me some information on the internship program at Indian Hills Community College. Do you have the dates?
Annie Somerville
Executive Chef
After sending back the dates, a description of the internship program and a few questions of my own, I received the full a-okay. I am interning at Greens restaurant in San Francisco.
Check out their website! Read a little about this nationally recognized restaurant, the role they play in the slow food nation and the wonder of ---> Greens Restaurant.