I cooked today.
I spent all day cooking and baking and shopping and mixing.
I haven’t cooked like this for a year. Not since I moved out Midwest and started grad school; not since I got sick and couldn’t keep things down, no matter how plain. Today I wandered aisles of fresh produce, squeezing mangoes and sniffing melons. Today I roasted asparagus, cooked eggplant parmesan, prepared an egg soufflé, and will probably bake muffins. Today also happens to be my six-month anniversary with the first man I’ve ever loved truly and deeply, but first and foremost, today I cooked. I love to cook for him, but in many ways today I cooked for me. We’re going to split the leftovers, so technically I’ve cooked for us, but it’s an accomplishment to cook things for people that they like.
Today was mostly warm but sometimes unexpectedly rainy, and I wore a fancy purple dress in the morning and comfortable purple sweatpants in the afternoon. I drove to the grocery store, exercising my dubiously-legal right to drive with an out-of-state Learner’s Permit, and came home with more than I planned to get. The steering wheel was stiffer than I prefer, and the car responded less than I would have liked, but every time I drive it feels a little bit more comfortable. I’d love to get my license someday soon, but I have to re-take a 5 hour class on what road signs mean, and I’m not sure if I’m up for that. Eventually, though.
My apartment still smells like a mix of tomato sauce, cheese, and sweat. The heat of the oven filled my apartment faster than I’d expected, and it hasn’t cooled yet. My beer is cold and fruity, and the couch is comfortable and soft. I’ve had a good day. The thing I’m looking forward to most is when the pool in the apartment complex opens. Going for a swim would have been the one thing to make today even more than it already was.
I don’t want to say that today wasn’t perfect. Today was more than I thought it could be, because today, I cooked, and I loved every minute of it.
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About the Author:
Maia Frieser is a Masters’ of Public Health Candidate at the University of Michigan. She’s an unrepentant New Yorker, and you’ll know that as soon as you speak to her. citywomenwithdolls.tumblr.com; @maiawithaneye








