To China and Back (No Kidding!)

I've received three copies of Paulo Coelho's book, "The Alchemist" in the last five years.   My favorite quote?  "Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart." (p 159)

So, like the shepherd Santiago looking for his heart, I left Kansas City in 2004 with "The Alchemist" tucked under my arm.  I sold all my "sheep".  Which in my case meant closing down the cake business and selling off my baking equipment. I sold my house, nearly all of my possessions, and eventually even my car.

Still known as Diane Dougherty, I headed for Omaha, Nebraska, in pursuit of my Master's at Creighton U.  It's often said that when you open yourself up to possibility there's no telling how far you will go.  (It's true!)  In between semesters at Creighton, I studied in various parts of China. (Yes, that's the China half way around the world.) I also spent time with the Lakota on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Figure 1:  That's me, introducing rural Chinese children to American pretzel rods. Notice there seems to be more uncertainty about my hair than the pretzels.

Figure 2:  Heartbreaking poverty on Pine Ridge Reservation. I helped build beds for children previously living without one.

After graduating from Creighton in 2006, I headed for Seattle U to complete my post-bacc work in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language).  Then I returned to Jiangmen, China where I lived and taught English at a local university.  I took advantage of every opportunity to volunteer everywhere I traveled, and I met amazing people everywhere I went.

Figure 3:  Some of my students giving a class presentation entirely in English!  Aren't they beautiful?

In December of 2007 I returned from China. Torn between making Kansas City or Omaha my home - and not really knowing what I would find in either city - I began looking for a car, a house, and a job. I found all three in Kansas City, plus the love of a wonderful male friend. (Am I too old to say "boy friend"?)

Figure 4:  Me and Paul in AZ last Christmas, visiting his brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Rita.

Was it fate or destiny that kept me from changing my phone number? All I know is I never changed it. And oddly, no matter how far away I traveled, occasionally my cell phone would ring with someone asking if I was available to make a wedding cake!

To this day my phone number is still the same, but shortly after my dad died in 2005, I changed my name back to my birth family name of "Mora" in his memory. (I love you, Dad.)

Figure 5:  My family, with Dad about 7 months before he died.

Rachel graduated from St. Olaf College last year, and I made it back from China in time to see her accept her degree. Currently she lives in Santa Cruz with her boyfriend, Mikael. Of whom I heartily approve. (But, Mikael, why did you have to take her so far away?)

Figure 6:  Don't they look great together?

And here I am. November 2009...I've been back in Kansas City almost two years; I found a super cute little house (also on Rosewood) four blocks north of my old house; and I still get calls for cakes. Last month, having finally begun to feel settled, I said "yes" to a cake request from Helena Irwin. (Thanks for asking, Helena!) I surprised myself at how natural it felt to be back in the kitchen creating food. And how happy I was during the entire process.

Figure 7: Here's a glimpse of Helena's cake and the invitation that inspired it. Visit my web gallery to see the entire 3 tiers!

Can you believe it?! I'm not sure why it took me two trips to China to figure out that I've been carrying my treasure inside me all the time...I love making cakes, and I love that the cakes I make bring even more happiness to others.

The world's a mighty big place. I've encountered people living in circumstances I wouldn't wish on anyone, and I've seen the larger results of our wasteful habits and misuse of resources. I've tried to make some small semblance of difference in the last five years. I may not have come back with any answers, but I've come back understanding that part of living involves not being afraid to live the questions.

Figure 8:  Tragically, a typical beach in Hong Kong. It's really true...we cannot send our trash to sea.

"[Santiago] had never imagined that questions about life would be of such importance to a shepherd." (p 159) And I would never have imagined that "questions about life would be of such importance to" a mere chef, like me.

I'm thrilled to be back doing work I love, among people I love.

Figure 9:  I guess you really can go home, Dorothy...Paul and I visited the Oz Museum in Wamego, KS in August on a road trip west.

Let's eat!

Figure 10:  Paul treating ME to cake on my birthday. Life is good.