The Process by Which I Learned to Love Food.

    Growing up, I had always eaten food, and I always knew it was pretty darn good. But as I aged, I learned at being a picky eater is a flaw. I first learned this when I traveled to Japan when I was 13. I went without my parents, or anyone close for that matter, to a strange country. I had been traveling with a group of students all about my age, and a few of us decided we were pretty hungry. I, of course, assumed we were going to go to what I thought was McDonald's across the street, or maybe even the coffee shop that resembled Starbucks (as I couldn't read the signs). However, this was not the case. We went very far down the street, into a deep alley that you couldn't fit a Mini Cooper into. As soon as we exited the alley, we were in what seemed like the projects. The city was Osaka, a very urban area. Where we were at that moment was a huge food market. Sushi and rice were all over, of course, but there were also dishes that I have never heard of! One that we came up to was an octopus ball. No, not an octopus testicle, instead octopus meat that had been rolled into a ball, covered in a smaller octopus, stuffed with mayonnaise thrown onto a skewer with a few others and deep fried. Now, up to that moment in my life, I had been a picky eater. I wanted to experience Japan, but this just seemed like too much for me. At that moment, I realized that if I ever wanted to enjoy retelling this experience later, I would need to eat the balls. So as quick as I could I shoved it into my mouth and took a bite. And it. Was. AMAZING.