There are times in life when moving forward means taking a step in a different direction.
For a while, I thought my next step would be getting back into a professional kitchen and continuing my journey as a Japanese cuisine chef.
But things don’t always happen according to plan.
For now, I’ve decided to put my chef career on hold.
Not because I’ve given up.
Actually, quite the opposite.
I’m choosing a different path because I need to build a stronger foundation first.
I Need to Earn an Income
Starting over in a new career takes time.
While I was preparing to return to the kitchen, I realized that I also needed to focus on something more immediate: earning a steady income.
So I decided to start working in food delivery.
I’ll be working with platforms such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, and I’m also planning to do Uber rides.
It may not look like the traditional path to becoming a chef, but right now, this is the path that makes sense for me.
I need to work.
I need to earn.
And I need to keep moving forward.
This Is Not the End of My Chef Dream
One thing I want to make clear is that I haven’t abandoned my goal of becoming a chef.
I’m still looking for a part-time position at a Japanese restaurant, especially a position where I can work as a roll man.
There is a reason for that.
I don’t just want to work in a restaurant.
I want to learn.
I want to become better at making sushi rolls, understand how a professional kitchen operates, and gain more experience with the food business.
Every skill I learn now could become important later.
My Long-Term Goal Is Bigger Than Getting a Job
I’ve started thinking beyond simply finding my next job.
My long-term goal is to open my own small takeout restaurant.
More specifically, I want to build a 24-hour takeout sushi roll shop.
It sounds ambitious, especially considering where I am right now.
Today, I’m looking for delivery work.
Tomorrow, I might be working part-time in a Japanese restaurant.
And someday, I hope to stand behind the counter of my own restaurant.
There is a long road between today and that dream.
But every journey has to start somewhere.
Why I’m Starting With Delivery
Food delivery gives me something I need right now: flexibility.
I can work different platforms, learn which hours are most profitable, and experiment with different ways of earning money.
I’ll also learn something that could become valuable when I eventually run my own business: understanding customers.
Every delivery is a small interaction with someone’s daily life.
People order food because they’re busy, tired, working, celebrating, or simply don’t want to cook.
That’s part of the food business too.
I’m curious to see what I can learn from the other side of the restaurant industry.
Instead of being the person preparing the food, I’ll be the person delivering it.
I’m Going to Keep Track of the Numbers
I don’t want this blog to be just a collection of stories.
I want to document the real process.
How many hours did I work?
How much did I earn?
What were my expenses?
Which platform worked better?
What times were the busiest?
What did I learn?
And most importantly, how much progress am I actually making toward my bigger goal?
I’ll be tracking my income and expenses as I go.
There will probably be good days.
There will definitely be bad days.
And I’m sure I’ll make plenty of mistakes.
But that’s exactly why I want to write about it.
Starting Over, One Day at a Time
I used to think that progress always had to look like moving directly toward your goal.
Now I’m learning that sometimes progress means doing what you need to do today so you can reach your goal tomorrow.
For now, I’m a delivery driver.
I’m also looking for an opportunity to work in a Japanese kitchen.
And I’m still a person who dreams about opening a restaurant of my own.
These things might seem unrelated.
But to me, they are all part of the same journey.
I’m not giving up on becoming a chef.
I’m simply taking a different road to get there.
And this time, I’m going to document the journey.
One delivery.
One shift.
One roll.
One step at a time.
The goal is still the same: someday, I want to open my own 24-hour takeout sushi roll shop.
Let’s see how far I can go.