(WXYZ) — 2020 has been a year of self reflection for many people. Some are asking themselves “what do I want to do with my life?”
A pastry chef in Detroit had been getting national attention for her work.
But now she is taking different steps forward by taking a step back.
“I guess a lot of people were in the same boat as me. Gave us a lot of time for self reflection.”
That’s how Lena Sareini spent her days during the shutdown.
You may remember her story in May when she was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in America.
She was also a nominee for a James Beard Award earlier this year.
Lena worked at the popular midtown restaurant Selden Standard for five years, until the pandemic temporarily shutdown business.
That gave Lena a much needed break.
“I had a lot time with myself and with my family and away from the hustle and bustle.”
But when the restaurant reopened, she says she was doing more work than before.
“Even though we were open at 50%, we were still very busy. Just came home every day so tired and checked out and burnt out.”
That’s when Lena realized she’s not happy anymore and wants to create a business for herself.
She started a YouTube channel and will soon host some pop-up events with social distancing in mind.
Lena says her dreams are big and could lead to her own restaurant. But for now she has this advice for anyone doing some soul searching.
“I’m a lot happier already and I hope this encourages other people to figure out what’s going to make them happy out of life and to actually go through with it.”
Lena will post updates on her Instagram page.
