Well that sounds stupid. Dear journal, no. Dear reader, no. Ugh Dear diary it's gonna have to be. Dang it sounds so middle school. Well anyway, I'm not creative, I'm a cook. Recipes yes, telling my life story no. Well here it goes anyway. So I'll start with a little about me. My name is Kara, Kara Stanford. I came from a place where the name Stanford made people stop and listen, people were in awe of my family. Ever heard of keeping up with the Jones'? Yea, that's my family. My parents are billionaires, well they probably have more than that but I wasn't in the loop on their finances. All I know is, my dad was hell bent on me taking over the family business when I graduated college. However the only way I was going to get my college paid for was if I entered into the contract for CEO in training of Stanford Industries Inc. We, no not we, my dad ownes construction companies, hotels, casinos, shopping malls; you name it, my dad had his hand in it. From a very young age he was grooming me to take over, I could manage business deals and haggle with the best of them. I loved going to business lunches and dinners, mainly for the food but I was learning, constantly perfecting the art of business. No one could match my dad though.
So I guess you could say life was pretty sweet until a few weeks ago. I had it all, 2 massive rooms in a mansion, a walk in closet with all the clothes a girl could ever want, my very own bathroom with a garden tub, access to the most luxurious fabrics, soaps, food and cars. I had a dog, a doberman to be exact and his name was Tank, he went everywhere with me. He was my best friend, security team, cuddle buddy, no matter what we were always together. I had access to stylists so I never had to do my own hair, we walked the red carpet often and premier events. I lived in the lap of luxury. I must be the most ridiculous person on the planet to have given that all up for nothing.
My plan for my future was set for me by someone other than me. Business is great but that's not where my passion was. Sure, making the deal, acquiring new companies and buying businesses was fun but I loved to cook. I mean we had the best kitchen anywhere. My parents always had an executive chef on staff and they never cooked, but I used to spend hours with Ronaldo, oh he sure was sweet on the eyes. Ronaldo taught me all his best tricks in the kitchen and made special dishes only for me that my parents had never tried. I was allowed access to the freshest ingredients and when I was old enough Ronaldo let me work my way around the kitchen to prepare a meal. It was glorious, the feel of the knife as it slid through a tomato, the aroma of garlic sauteed in butter. Oh those were the days. One day though, my dad caught me in the kitchen, he was furious beyond belief. Ronaldo tried to protect me but dad just fired him. I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my life. The thing is, once you're fired from the Stanford house you'll never find decent work again. Dad never wanted me to learn how to cook, he thought cooking your own food was beneath him and to have me do it was distasteful. He hired this cow of a woman who never let me near the door to the kitchen. So I guess where I'm going with all this is I never wanted to take over Stanford Industries, it just wasn't for me but I never outright shot my dad down until graduation night. Oh that was bad, he was going on and on about how I was going to go to Stanford University, I mean come on, go to a college with my last name on it. No way, then he was talking about how I was going to be on the next deal with him and that he had it all lined up. I just snapped. I yelled at him "I want to be a world renowned chef and pastry maker! I don't want any part of your business anymore!" I thought the kitchen scene was bad, this was even worse. The whole night was a blur, I was running, running away from him, the look in his eyes. The utter fury I could see boiling over. He almost grabbed me but I was able to get away. I couldn't go home, I knew he'd be there waiting for me. It was hands down the worst night of my life.
I never went home but I did get one last message from my dad before my cell phone was shut off. He kicked me out, and cut me off. I was disowned, never to return to his house. I had shamed him, his only child wouldn't continue on his legacy. I couldn't stay in Roaring Heights, I would never get a job or be able to stand on my own two feet, he would make sure of that, not to mention he owned over half the businesses in town. So there you have it, my sad end to the first fortune I turned down because of my own selfish goals and dreams in life. So what happened next is a real treat to write down.
Newcrest, I'd settled on a brand new town. Far, far away from Roaring Heights. The Stanford name meant nothing here, no one knew of me, my family or the name. It was amazing, refreshing and a shock. I didn't have the access to new clothes, amazing foods and those basic necessities that a home provides. My first few days were really rough, I'd never been homeless before. Just breathe I told myself, that's all I have to do and I will work things as they come. I had just enough money in my bank account to buy a piece of property, nothing with a structure on it but property was a good start. I purchased Twin Oracle Point, it has such a nice name. It looks out onto a body of water and there is a park nearby. So at least I had a piece of land to live on.
I decided to explore the town, I found little rocks that had geodes in them, I went around digging them up when I found them. As I was walking near a local river looking for geodes, I stumbled upon an old fishing pole so I picked it up and cast the line into the water. It only took 2 hours to catch my first fish, but after that I was fish, fish and more fish. When I had caught all I could catch I moved on, there were some people having a picnic and I asked if I could join in. They were all so gracious, people in Roaring Heights were never this friendly. Anyways, I met this really cool girl named Summer, she's into cooking too and she actually is a cook right now. We got to talking and I asked her if her work was hiring, she looked apprehensive at first but then she said she'd ask when she went to work. Man, it'd be awesome if I could get a job, I need the money bad. I went to the local market and I was able to sell the fish I had caught and some of the treasures I had dug up while I was exploring around town. There are so many lots here that aren't developed, it's a real estate dream world. This town has the potential to be anything it wants. I honestly hope it stays this quiet peace of heaven I have found.
I decided to explore the town, I found little rocks that had geodes in them, I went around digging them up when I found them. As I was walking near a local river looking for geodes, I stumbled upon an old fishing pole so I picked it up and cast the line into the water. It only took 2 hours to catch my first fish, but after that I was fish, fish and more fish. When I had caught all I could catch I moved on, there were some people having a picnic and I asked if I could join in. They were all so gracious, people in Roaring Heights were never this friendly. Anyways, I met this really cool girl named Summer, she's into cooking too and she actually is a cook right now. We got to talking and I asked her if her work was hiring, she looked apprehensive at first but then she said she'd ask when she went to work. Man, it'd be awesome if I could get a job, I need the money bad. I went to the local market and I was able to sell the fish I had caught and some of the treasures I had dug up while I was exploring around town. There are so many lots here that aren't developed, it's a real estate dream world. This town has the potential to be anything it wants. I honestly hope it stays this quiet peace of heaven I have found. 
I didn't have enough money to buy a bed yet so I slept on park benches, ate at peoples picnics and BBQs. I showered and used the bathroom at the gym. I was starting to get funny looks from people because I was always there showering but never working out. I hope no one catches on to me. I've been able to dodge the where do you live questions by saying I'm not familiar with the town yet and that I'm just new to the town. Summer was able to get me a job as a dishwasher at the restaurant, I'm finally a paid employee!! Sometimes I wish I hadn't bought the biggest lot in Newcrest but I wasn't sure if it'd be available once I was able to afford a house and everything. I'd rather live poorly and scrimp and save to make this what I want when I can instead of settling for something else.
So, I've been in Newcrest for about 2 weeks. I have a bed, it's just a camping mattress and it's not very comfortable but it does the trick. I don't have any walls, I get to stare at the stars at night. I get funny looks from the towns people here now, they know I'm technically the homeless chick living at Twin Oracle Point but I don't care. I will be the talk of the town once I make it to the big leagues. I spend most of my days sleeping since I work one of the most awful shifts there is, but I am working on studying the master chefs and improving my skills behind the stove. On my days off I tend my garden, oh yea I have a garden. It's not much but I have an apple tree, mushrooms, basil and strawberries. It's a start but at least I have fresh food at my disposal for new recipes. I also have gotten really fond of fishing, the fish really do fetch quite a bit of money at market. It's how I make extra when I'm not working. I'm determined to prove my family wrong, that I can do this on my own and I know, one day the Stanford name will come to Newcrest and I won't be safe from my fathers reach any longer but I hope that when that day comes, it's my name that is popular and that me and this town can fend him off.
Well I think that's about all the journaling I can handle right now. I'll write in another week when I have more (hopefully) news to share. Let's hope by that time I actually have some walls built up.
Kara
