I've come to realize that I am not monetarily rich.  Maybe some day I will be, maybe I won't.  But what matters is my wealth of experiences and journeys.  I am a Fortune 200 eater and adventurer.  The bank account may be drained, but my memory is full (as well as my stomach).  This could be from a simple homemade grilled cheese with caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peanuts, cheddar and parmesan cheese, and roast beef, served over a delectable chimichurri puree, or a failed attempt at a duck ragu, or a wonderful multi-course meal at The Bazaar by Jose Andres, or meeting an idol - Michael Voltaggio, or completely connecting with an elderly italian couple over a lovely torta di cioccolata.  Life is a strange journey and I've had my fair share of struggles.  I'm 21 years old and I think I've met the love of my life.  It doesn't mean I'm with her now or will be in the future, I just know she is the one.  No one else compares.  My bond to her is a double edged sword.  I have the comfort and care of knowing that there is someone out there for me, someone who gets me to my core.  But on the other side, losing that love or being distanced by it has driven me to do mad things - hook up with other girls, drink a fifth of gin, try to walk 13 hilly miles to see her (see fifth of gin), and more importantly and positively: expand my worldview and confirm that she is the one.  Along that search (she still is the best) I have met brilliant people along the way, tasted gastronomic perfection, endured hardships, and embraced compassion.  Some say, "oh, he's just a kid."  Well news flash, you don't know what or who I just am.  I have thought things that you can't even dream of.  I face inner struggles and grasp at dreams the same way a 90 year old man does looking back on his long and bumpy life.  Age is a construct like time.  There are those that never live at all but don't die until 100.  And there are those that die at 10 that have lived 5 lifetimes.  I don't know which I am, all I know is that I'm trying to learn and strive for more, always on a full stomach.