Chef Vikas Khanna has often talked about his initial days in New York, when he had just started out on his journey to be a professional chef.
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However, recently, he shared an old letter that he had written to his grandmother during the early days in New York. And it is a stark reminder of what we all go through when we first move away from home, in the pursuit of our dreams.
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In the letter, he talks about how the brightness of New York leaves him feeling a little lost, and while he works hard to ‘fit in’ and find an identity, he is still not fond of the food or the winters.
Its American food, I find it very bland. But I work very hard to fit in. One dishwasher is from Mexico, he is very nice to me. Reminds me of home. New York is very big and very bright and I feel invisible and lost. Winters here hurt my bones. The rain does not have any fragrance. The sweater you knitted keeps me warm. Somedays I feel that I will never find my identity here but I will keep going to make you proud one day. Promise.
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His heartfelt note won over the internet, with people commending him for the hard work and effort it took to turn his dreams into reality.
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You can read the complete letter here:
For most of us in the pursuit of dreams, our families are the force that keeps us going through long nights and failures. And Vikas Khanna’s letter was a beautiful reminder of that powerful family love.