Once upon a time…
There was a girl, a cook in a bright little city named “the Meadows”.
This girl dreamed of far off places.
She dreamed of smells and flavors she’d never known before.
And she dreamed of seeing the places behind the fairy tales from her childhood.
This girl, she took a chance. It was a long shot…
But she found herself in the land of her dreams.
A place of magic and mystery.
A place of history and culture.
For many months she toiled in this new land, a stranger to the country and the people.
She faced some hard times, and at night sometimes she wondered if she could make it, if she had done the right thing.
She missed some things about her home, but no longer felt like she belonged there, or anywhere for that matter.
The girl set out on a journey across this strange new land, alone.
With each new discovery, her hear skipped a beat. With each person she met, she felt warmer inside.
Until she started to understand who she was. And who she wouldn’t be anymore.
And who she would become.
Adios.
About Athena Thickstun
Athena is currently completing her bachelors degree at the Art Institute of Las Vegas.
She went to Spain originally to stage in and write about restaurante Martin Berasategui for 6 months, a 3-Michelin starred restaurant in Lasarte, near San Sebastian in Pais Vasco.
Becoming enamoured with the country and the people, she extended her stay to work at Quique Dacosta's 2-Michelin starred restaurant in Denia, near Valencia and Alicante.
Her experience prior to the restaurants in Spain includes working at Mario Batali's B & B Ristorante, brief stages at restaurants by Joel Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Thomas Keller, all in Las Vegas. She has also interned with both the Food Network and PBS Television, as well as studying cuisine in Orvieto, Italy at the Zeppelin Ristorante and classes at the Bocuse Institute in Lyon, France. Athena is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in Culinary Management at the Art Institute of Las Vegas, as well as sommelier certification through the ISG.
When she's not cooking, Athena enjoys writing, hiking, Indi films, vineyards, museums, travel, and eating.
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