05/17/2026
My friends from Colorado know that when I baked, it was never really about the bread. I had such a great time just being a part of the community and talking to everyone. When you move, which I have done so many times, it takes a while to rebuild that community. I have done it so often that it’s given me a crazy collection of people from across the country and, I think, a unique perspective on having a community that you want to support.
When you are young, you don’t look for or appreciate what that really means. It’s broader than making friends or having people to hang out with. It’s opening the door to people and experiences outside of who you normally gravitate to and welcoming that. When you factor in that I’m not an overly social person and fairly shy, it’s strange that I’ve fallen into this cycle of finding and building that community wherever we land. Still, we do it and it’s a part of who we are as a family.
I know so many people who are in this game just trying to make ends meet. I get it, I do. It’s not a side hustle for the weak and it can be exhausting. I don’t want you to miss the real opportunity that you have when you do something like this. Every person I’ve met has a story and life experiences that are so different than the bullet train of living that your ticket is currently punched for. Food is a shared connection that, regardless of the individual journey, you’ll find an intersection where you can connect. I found myself thinking about this today when a woman was telling Rob that his chocolate chip cookies taste like her mom’s and she hadn’t had them in 13 years. I end up in conversations with folks who will see something I have out that reminds them of some place they traveled to, or where they grew up. They talk about their families and friends, what their plans are for the week, where they are headed after they leave my booth, and how whatever they picked up fits into it all. It doesn’t matter how tired I am when the day is done, I am happy. I’m glad that folks buy me out everytime I show up, but I don’t leave feeling like that was the point. I come home thinking about who I’ve met and how we laughed together.
We are so caught up in this quick hit social media culture, the polished personal ads that we put out as posts. That’s not really who we are. I’m glad I get to hear your stories in person because, when you are in front of me and excited about what you are saying, I feel like I really know who you are. I had fun today and thank you for giving me that life experience. It’s funny what a loaf of bread or danish can give you.
