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Culinary Delights

V 10 - Summer 2024

Chateau Elan Winery and Resort is an experience for the senses that surpasses all expectations. Its award-winning wines, five chef-driven restaurants, and numerous culinary workshops and events offer something for every palate. Chateau Elan’s commitment to culinary excellence is evident in every dish, every event, and every detail, making it a must-visit for food and wine lovers. Guests are treated to a culinary journey with a talented team of chefs from diverse countries, bringing an international flair to every dish. Whether you're looking for a relaxing afternoon tea, an educational cooking class, or an extravagant culinary festival, Chateau Elan promises an unforgettable gastronomic journey. 

Afternoon Tea

Chateau Elan presents several intimate yet equally delightful experiences for those seeking a more personalized culinary adventure. Among them is the Afternoon Tea, hosted in the glass-top atrium. Here, guests can relax with a cup of tea and indulge in a selection of delectable treats. Curated by Chef Joebeth Marin-Gaddy and her dedicated team of pastry chefs, the menu features handmade sandwiches, pastries, and a wide variety of loose-leaf teas. In making the menu, Joebeth selects items that are not only complementary to tea but also appealing to your senses: incorporating sweet, bitter, tangy, crunchy, soft, and fruity ingredients. 

Among the array of delectables, the macarons and scones have been consistent fan favorites at Afternoon Tea. The macaron flavors vary with each new batch, offering guests an ever-changing taste experience with every visit. To accompany Afternoon Tea, Joebeth and her team recently introduced a fancy candy cart, adding an extra touch of sweetness that guests can eagerly anticipate.

Cooking Classes

Over at the Viking Culinary Studio, Chateau Elan offers cooking classes designed for all skill levels, making it the perfect activity for both novice cooks and experienced food enthusiasts. Each class features professional cooking instruction on preparing a three-course meal, expertly selected wine pairings by the sommelier, and a recipe booklet for guests to take home. Led by culinary experts, these classes offer more than just a meal—they provide an immersive culinary experience that educates and entertains. 

Charcuterie Workshop

Even if you're not an overnight guest at Chateau Elan, you can still partake in the culinary activities offered at the winery, such as the charcuterie workshop. Held every other Sunday at 2 p.m., guests can attend an exclusive class with friends and family to elevate their charcuterie board skills for any occasion. With an assortment of meats, cheeses, and snacks unique to the time of year, guests can experience the season's charm through the workshop. Each session includes all the essential ingredients to master the art of charcuterie, paired with complimentary wine to enjoy throughout the workshop. To extend the experience, guests receive their own branded charcuterie board to take home, allowing them to showcase their newfound skills at their next special gathering. After the ninety-minute session, guests can enjoy their freshly prepared charcuterie board at any of the property’s scenic locations.

Taste of Chateau Restaurant Week

Each year, a ‘Taste of Chateau’ is offered to guests. An event showcasing Chateau Elan’s exquisite culinary offerings, Taste of Chateau Restaurant Week showcases the property’s five on-site dining establishments and their executive chefs as they present attendees with exceptional quality cuisine. Throughout a week-long event, chefs will prepare dishes using fresh ingredients, preparation methods, and flavors unique to various cultures worldwide. Each menu is crafted to satisfy diverse palates with farm-to-table delicacies and creative blended cuisine built from unique ingredients not typically found in chefs’ kitchens, all at a premium price. Chateau Elan ensures that each restaurant presents a new assortment of gourmet dishes, allowing returning guests to enjoy a fresh culinary experience with each visit. Individuals of every age and background are invited to experience each dining venue and savor exquisite dishes with complementing wines. If you missed last year’s restaurant week, be sure to get your tickets for the next one—stay tuned for announcements on dates and details for the upcoming event.  

Versailles Restaurant and Bar

Located inside Chateau Elan’s enchanting glass-top atrium, Versailles Restaurant and Bar offers a French-inspired culinary experience. Upon entrance, guests can enjoy creative twists on classic dishes in an ambiance reminiscent of dining in France under a starry sky.  

At Versailles, guests can dine for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as the extensive menu features cuisines suitable for any time of day and a delicious array of desserts. With its magical setting, complete with sparkling lights hanging above, the restaurant transports guests to the enchanting streets of Paris. In each exquisitely presented dish, award-winning Executive Chef Mariela Biggio's culinary artistry is evident, ensuring a pleasing taste and visual appeal. The bar at Versailles features Chateau Elan’s wine and a selection of unique, crafted cocktails inspired by Parisian landmarks. 

During last year’s restaurant week, guests were treated to Biggio’s special menu, starting with zucchini carpaccio, followed by a bone-in pork chop with sweet potato puree and brussel sprout-apple hash, and concluding with a modern opera cake. For an unforgettable dining experience, visit Versailles at Chateau Elan to experience the exquisite creations of Chef Mariela Biggio.

Marc Restaurant and Bar

Marc Restaurant and Bar at Chateau Elan is a renowned southern-inspired steakhouse known for its commitment to local ingredients and sustainably sourced meats. As the menu evolves with the seasons, dishes highlight each harvest, featuring the freshest ingredients available. You’ll discover a new dish with each visit, ensuring every dining experience is unique and exciting. The Marc is celebrated not only for its exceptional cuisine but also for its stunning location. Guests can enjoy their meals while gazing over the sprawling, lush vineyards of Chateau Elan, some of the most picturesque in the South. The full bar features Chateau Elan’s wines, a selection of beers, and the Marc’s signature handcrafted cocktails, making it the perfect spot to relax and enjoy exceptional cuisine and beverages.

Paddy’s Irish Pub

Paddy’s Irish Pub dismantled and shipped from Ireland to Georgia, stands as a genuine Irish treasure. With frequent live performances, a diverse repertoire of Irish-inspired pub food—renowned as some of the best in the Southeast—and a warm, inviting atmosphere, Paddy's Irish Pub has something for everyone. The pub serves Chateau Elan’s wines, a selection of authentic ale, and unique Irish-inspired cocktails, making it a go-to spot on the vineyard for letting loose and having fun.

During last year’s restaurant week at Chateau Elan, Paddy’s offered a plate with three authentic Irish appetizers. The first dish, Celtic scallops, featured fresh U20 scallops, southern country succotash, and petit crest salad. The next dish was an Irish classic, the bangers & mash, which included sausage with Guinness gravy, duchess potatoes, and buttered peas, an Irish classic dish. The final dish consisted of three ounces of smoked haddock with candied bacon bits, ale beurre blanc, potato crisps, and chives. Guests could try out new flavors with this appetizer sampler before committing to a full order. If you missed Paddy’s appetizer sampler during restaurant week, you can still savor these delicious items from Paddy’s menu for a full order.

Fleur de Lis Restaurant and Bar 

Fleur de Lis overlooks the serene and picturesque lake and gazebo at Chateau Elan, offering guests a tranquil dining experience with breathtaking views. With its delectable array of gourmet dishes crafted from the finest and healthiest ingredients catering to all dietary needs, this charming eatery is suitable for all guests and any occasion. Whether enjoying a brunch with friends, family, or a special date, guests are guaranteed a memorable experience with a menu thoughtfully designed to accommodate individual preferences.

Fleur de Lis caters to every palate with brunch classics, unique soups, crisp salads, savory starters, mouth-watering entrees, fresh sides, and delicious desserts. Each dish is perfectly matched with a recommended wine, ensuring that guests receive an individualized experience with an extensive selection of wines.

At Chateau Elan’s past restaurant week, Fleur de Lis offered a seafood sampler, including Mediterranean grilled shrimp, mini crabcakes with fennel puree, and seared Ahi tuna frisée served with organic lentils, pumpkin, and walnuts. Enthralled by the sampler flavors, guests ordered additional servings to extend their enjoyment. 

Chef & Winemaker’s Dinner

Chateau Elan hosts a variety of larger culinary events that attract food and wine enthusiasts from near and far. The Chef and Winemaker’s Dinner is a standout, as few experiences compare to this event, which offers guests a multi-course meal paired with carefully selected wines reflecting diverse global culinary influences. During unmissable dates throughout the season, guests are invited to participate in a culinary adventure in the heart of Chateau Elan's flourishing vineyards. In an atmosphere of exquisite outdoor furniture, crystal glassware, fresh florals, and high-end decorations, guests can immediately be whisked away to a magical night that exudes elegance and sophistication.

Authentic live music sets the mood, and the evening commences with an extensive selection of hors d’oeuvres and charcuterie boards, complemented by glasses of bubbly Chateau Elan champagne served by the waitstaff. 

Each dinner features a five-course meal uniquely themed to showcase different culinary traditions worldwide, ensuring that even regular attendees enjoy a fresh and exciting gastronomic journey each time. Mariela Biggio, Chateau Elan's esteemed executive chef, plays a vital role in this culinary experience and occasionally collaborates with other talented chefs from diverse and multicultural backgrounds, each contributing their unique expertise to the event. 

Chateau Elan’s acclaimed head winemaker, Simone Bergese, oversees all wine-related endeavors at Chateau Elan and diligently pairs the perfect wines alongside Biggio’s expertise during the Chef and Winemaker’s Dinners. Simone thoughtfully selects a different wine to complement each of the five courses, ensuring that each pairing enhances the specific flavors of the dish it accompanies. 

For Simone, collaborating with Biggio is a detailed process to curate meal and beverage pairings for guests that reflect the evening’s culinary theme. First, the event's theme sets the menu's direction, ensuring that each dish aligns perfectly with the overarching concept. With the menu in place, Simone turns his attention to the wine pairings, carefully considering the taste profile of each course. Since some dishes can be exceptionally complex and not be pre-made, Biggio provides Simone with detailed guidance on their anticipated flavors. Pulling from Chateau Elan’s broad wine collection, Simone typically identifies the ideal pairings. He often delights in showcasing rare library wines that are no longer available to the public and unreleased selections, adding a unique element of surprise to the dinners. Simone will often craft innovative wine cocktails for the reception, enhancing guests’ culinary experience with his creative touch.

“The Chef and Winemaker’s dinners are culinary events that I always love to do. I think they represent and display all the strength and the soul of Chateau Elan” -Simone Bergese

The culinary delights culminate in exceptional desserts crafted by Chateau Elan’s gifted head pastry chef, Joebeth Marin-Gaddy. Each dessert is a testament to her skill and creativity, offering guests a sweet finale that lingers long after the last bite.  

Holiday Events

Chateau Elan offers a range of holiday events that cater to culinary enthusiasts and those seeking unique recreational activities. Whether you’re looking to enjoy a romantic Valentine’s dinner, immerse yourself in the cultural festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, or partake in a modern Easter egg hunt, Chateau Elan provides guests with an exceptional culinary journey.

On Valentine’s Day, Chateau Elan treats couples to their Saint Valentine’s Day Package, where guests can savor well-crafted dishes from special Valentine’s menus at Versailles, The Marc, and Fleur de Lis. For an added touch of sweetness, couples can enjoy the ‘Taste of Love’ chocolate and wine pairing at the Tasting Room, an experience that embodies the romantic essence of the special day. 

Guests can experience a taste of Ireland when they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Chateau Elan’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival located at St. Paddy’s Irish Pub. With captivating performances by authentic Irish dancers, guests can fully immerse themselves in the holiday spirit while enjoying an extravagant Irish buffet.

Easter at Chateau Elan is a time for families to gather and feast. The Versailles Restaurant and Bar hosts a grand Easter Brunch, offering a variety of delectable dishes. For those 21 and up, the annual adult ‘Golden Egg Hunt’ is a contemporary play on the traditional Easter activity. Organized through Chateau Elan’s official Instagram, participants follow clues to find the golden egg and win exciting prizes such as overnight stays, wine tastings, spa treatments, and tickets to exclusive events. 

During autumn, visitors can participate in Chateau Elan's new Oktoberfest, a captivating Bavarian experience featuring traditional German vendors and authentic old-world costumes, creating a charming and festive atmosphere.

During the back-to-back months, guests can indulge in a feast for the senses at Chateau Elan, as the resort presents a Thanksgiving and Christmas Buffet. The Thanksgiving buffet captures the essence of the holiday, combining culinary excellence with the warmth and comfort of a festive gathering, making it a truly memorable experience for all who attend. 

Vineyard Fest

Chateau Elan’s Vineyard Fest, held each November, is a premier event for food and beverage lovers. A sold-out event for more than two decades, Vineyard Fest offers guests an exclusive look at the full-production winery and vineyard and an opportunity to taste both domestic and international wines. Professional chefs share their culinary secrets during cooking demonstrations and wine seminars, giving attendees a glimpse into the artistry and techniques behind the scenes of Chateau Elan. 

With a wide selection of wines, craft beers, and spirits available for unlimited tastings, this festival also features a range of globally inspired bites to enhance the experience. Live music, lawn games, grape stomping, and cooking demonstrations are also part of the festivities.

Wedding Catering 

One of Chateau Elan’s unique culinary offerings is the luxurious cuisine that couples can choose from when tying the knot, as Chateau Elan is committed to perfecting every detail. From Georgia-grown cuisine to Italian and Southern European fare, the wedding menu options include heated or cooled hors d'oeuvres, standard or premium reception stations, chef carving reception stations, plated two-course dinners, a buffet menu, and a late-night station with sweet or savory offerings.

During a personalized tasting, couples can select their menu with the option of bringing two guests and a wedding planner. Couples sample Chateau Elan's award-winning Reserve wines, butler-passed hors d'oeuvres, and three-course entrée options. 

Corporate Meetings and Conferences Catering

At Chateau Elan, corporate meetings and conferences are elevated by exceptional catering led by Executive Chef Mariela Biggio. The Day Meeting Package offers all-day food and beverage service, including various refreshments, a delectable continental breakfast, a mid-morning snack break, an extensive lunch menu that varies per day, and an afternoon snack break. Guests can also upgrade to the hot breakfast enhancement, featuring an assortment of breakfast sandwiches and sides. Whether hosting an intimate event or a multi-day conference, Chateau Elan ensures smoothly run meetings and satisfied appetites.

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Fashion trends have come and gone. Some so absurd we believed they’d already hit rock bottom. Yet somehow, fashion always finds a way to dig deeper. 

But according to economists, fashion isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s a reflection of the economy. When people have money, they tend to spend it on flashier, riskier styles. When money’s tight, trends often lean modest, minimal or just plain odd. 

Take the ‘80s for example: perms so high they nearly brushed the ceiling, shoulder pads jutting out far enough to form personal space bubbles, and knee-high socks, because apparently, normal socks just weren’t cutting it. These over-the-top styles, abstract as they were, mirrored the decade’s economic optimism.

I’ll skip over the ‘90s because it was fashion’s heyday, and I have little criticism to offer. But just as things seemed to be on the rise, the 2000s came crashing in with even more questionable choices, and pants that took that “rise” literally in the opposite direction. Jeans were so low-waisted they defied practicality, and velour jumpsuits came in every color, each with a logo proudly plastered across the back (a necessary feature, of course).

By 2010, we somehow regressed again, with flower crowns and mustaches on everything. Seriously, mustaches showed up on clothing, accessories, tattoos, even birthday party themes. Galaxy and chevron prints dominated thanks to Tumblr, gripping an entire generation of teens.

Now, halfway through the 2020s, things are … weird. Ed Sheeran is making an unexpected comeback. The ice bucket challenge, too, is somehow back after a decade-long freeze. Coincidence? Probably. According to internet theorists, both are also signs of a looming recession. And while those cultural flashbacks make headlines, another fashion crisis is quietly brewing—one that hasn’t yet gotten the deep dive it deserves. 

As a self-proclaimed fashionista—a title also bestowed upon me by family and friends, because someone has to be the style icon at public outings—I keep up with ever-evolving, fast-paced trends. Lately, though, as I scroll through social media and browse online shops, I’ve noticed a shift. Modesty and minimalism, like today’s milkmaid dresses and capris, might indicate tightening wallets and uncertain times. 

Is today’s questionable fashion sense simply bad taste, or is it signaling something deeper? 

Because when fashion gets strange, it might not just be a trend.
It might be a recession. 

Below is a list of current fashion trends (yes, they are trends) I’ve compiled to assess the question or debunk theories regarding the current state of our economy: Is it a recession indicator or just a really bad trend?

Milkmaid dresses and drop waists

To state my case, I present you with Kendall Jenner’s most recent Coachella outfit. In theory, it’s not the worst dress to appear at a music festival, plus, the supermodel can pull off anything. But when you factor in her and other fashion icons’ past Coachella looks, along with the festival’s setting, you begin to wonder: Is this just a questionable trend, or a subtle sign of a recession?

Flash back to past Coachellas, where Jenner wore denim shorts and flowy garments with breathable holes, and you’ll notice a drastic shift. These earlier outfits made sense for a music festival held in the sweltering California desert. 

Sure, you might think that during a recession, hemlines would rise, with less fabric and lower costs. So maybe this is just a fleeting trend. But some argue the current push toward modesty, with longer dresses, higher necklines and sleeves, even in the heat of summer, signals a recession. It suggests a minimalist lifestyle and a shift in priorities, with people less concerned about appearance and more focused on survival. 

Of all the trends on this list, this one may reflect the clearest link between fashion and economic trends. 

It even suggests that stock prices and skirt lengths are more connected than you think. 

Economist George Taylor’s 1926 Hemline Index theory proposed just that: that skirt lengths reflect economic conditions. In good times, hemlines rise. In down times, they fall. Just look at the Roaring ‘20s versus the Great Depression. Or the more gender-neutral silhouettes that emerged after the Great Recession in 2008. 

If history repeats itself, then fashion is no exception. 

Still, it’s just a theory. This could simply be a bad trend, and one that, like all trends, shall pass. 

Jelly sandals 

Some say these are a trend. Others point to signs of economic stagnation. I ask: Where is the arch support? Are there no major blister consequences? 

Popular in the ‘80s, the jelly sandals resurfaced in the ‘90s and early 2000s. To my knowledge, the last time I saw them was on a toddler’s foot, which is where they belong. 

Putting trust into a shoe made entirely out of PVC plastic to get you around town is a bold move, and for that, I’ll give people credit. At least they’re versatile, available for everyone from toddlers to teachers. 

So, if you’re over the age of 18 and feeling nostalgic for your childhood or just want to channel the ‘80s, buy a pair while they are still socially acceptable. 

While fashion is cyclical, do these shoes signal tougher financial times, or are they just a trend waiting to fade, back to the toddler aisle where they came from?

Capris

Enough said. 

Are we back in the 2000s—when our bank accounts were hurting, and we wore these mid-calf pants like there was no tomorrow? Or is history simply repeating itself, with the economy once again mirroring our choices?

(If it’s the latter, it’s slightly less embarrassing, because it would mean we didn’t willingly choose this as our summer staple.) 

Capris are everywhere again, but fashion hasn’t forgiven them yet. It’s a pants very few can pull off (gracefully), and for most, it’s more unflattering than forgiving. Even skinny jeans are a better alternative, which, yes, is another trend among us, thanks to influencer Alix Earle, who made them cool again. 

I digress. But capris are clearly trending again. Whether that’s because of the Earle sisters, Alix and Ashtin, both recently spotted in them on Instagram, or because of the economy, we may never know. 

But according to the Hemline Index, capris are an economic distress signal. They might not deserve such an economic deep dive, but if we had to link them to the job market right now, we’d say they reflect its current awkward in-betweenness.

That concludes today’s game of Is it a recession indicator or a bad trend? 

Thanks for playing, and remember, take these cultural deep dives with a grain of salt. I won't judge. But I'm not an economist—and some economists might say your outfit reflects tough times.

“You will never truly know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory,” said some philosophical and very wise individual whose name I’ve forgotten.

Cue deep moment of silence. 

I know, starting with a quote is cliché and often frowned upon. But before you scroll past, I swear this isn’t about to spiral into a dramatic ramble that interrupts your day. Well, no promises, actually. 

That quote found me at the right time, shortly after I graduated from college, just over a month ago. It struck me with a harsh truth. But then again, maybe it doesn’t have to be so harsh. 

It made me think about the time I spent living with my college roommates—how valuable that time was. Even though I appreciated it back then, the full weight of its significance only hit me once it had passed, once it became a memory.  

I’ve always struggled to be content with the present. Always bouncing between the extremes— pros and cons, back and forth—so painfully indecisive. Always craving what’s just out of reach. One foot stuck in what was, the other stretching toward what’s next, only my ankle just barely brushing against the now. Even in the happiest moments, I’d compare the now to what came before, twisting old memories into something shinier, polishing them until they gleamed, making them feel more meaningful than whatever was right in front of me. “A week ago today at this exact time, you were here, with this person, doing that,” I’d tell myself, like I was running a memory check, testing each detail to see if it held more value than the moment I was living in. I’d try to crawl back into times I’d already outgrown, just to escape the uncertainty of now.

I could blame that on my persistent, gut-wrenching nostalgia. The kind that makes everything seem sweeter in hindsight. It’s sneaky like that. Nostalgia blurs the lines between memory and reality. You start romanticizing the past until it feels like it was your “peak.” 

I was mulling over this earlier this year, sitting with my roommate—someone I’ve known since kindergarten and somehow got lucky enough to live with all four years of college (though I’m not sure she’d describe it as luck, more like getting stuck with me). We were in our eclectic (that’s the polite way of putting it) little living room, lingering over morning coffee and conversations about the future. 

Is college really the “peak” of our lives? Many people say that or high school. As if the minute you graduate from either, you’re tossed headfirst into the “real world,” where “everything sucks,” according to most adults already living in it. 

“I don’t think we’ve hit our peak yet,” she says, challenging the idea.

I agreed. But deep down, I wasn’t sure I believed it. Not yet. 

And what is a “peak” anyway?

We talk about it like it’s this singular, towering moment—some fixed point you reach and then leave behind. Seriously, I know this isn’t some brand new revelation. But I still find myself wondering why we’re expected to wrap up the first 22 years of our lives with a neat little bow and head down the “decline,” straight to the trough for the remainder of life, no more peaks ahead, just a flat line. And if graphs aren’t your thing (they’re not mine), here’s another analogy to ponder: Why do we talk about life like it’s a mountain we already summited?

Like, why does it feel rebellious to believe your peak might come after college? Or that you might even have, dare I say, multiple peaks?

Why can’t our peak be college and the quiet triumph of mastering sourdough bread? Or deciding, after earning a whole degree, to change paths entirely and apply to law school? What if it’s picking up an old hobby you’ve been meaning to return to, like buying that roll of film on a whim, finally dusting off your camera? (Yes, in 2025, using a decades-old film camera is somehow trendier than our high-tech, thousand-dollar smartphones. If you’re not using film, are you even artsy?) 

Maybe a “peak” is being able to look back at a moment and feel grateful—and knowing, truly knowing, that more moments like it lie ahead. It’s accepting a chapter as closed, but not final. It’s remembering that we have the power to actively and consciously choose that more peaks are ahead. Not just one. Not a single “peak,” but many. A plurality. Because life doesn’t follow a neat slope, it swells and dips and plateaus. Maybe “peak” is the wrong word altogether—too final, too narrow. 

But what do I know? I’ve only been in the “real world” for a month. 

I’ve actually written something similar before, a few years ago—about the art of living in the moment. But somehow, I always circle back to the same epiphany after I’ve spent too long in my head, longing for what was, restless and unable to feel grounded in the present. (Maybe it’s just that my prefrontal cortex has finally finished developing.) It’s the same realization that never stops humbling me, because I somehow keep having to relearn it, retrain my brain to navigate its complexity, and figure out which version of the internal manual to follow.

And once those moments become memories, I find myself momentarily between worlds, struggling to reconcile the beauty of what had passed with the reality I now stand in. They were so vivid, so moving, it was hard to believe they’d ever been real. 

Most recently, I felt this sense of disorientation and awe when reflecting on the years I spent with my college roommates. I think about all of this now and realize that if I’ve already experienced a peak, or one of many, it wasn’t just the place or the timing. It was the people. The ordinary days and shared moments with the ones who helped shape them into something more. For me, that looked like three years in a house filled with mismatched furniture, laughter that spilled past midnight, and the kind of friendships that quietly rewired who I am. 

So, here’s to the three women who helped shape who I am—

who showed me how to hold a moment as it’s happening, not just once it’s over.

To our laughter, our tears 

and that awkward year we endured together after transferring universities our sophomore year—uncertain, uprooted, and trying to belong. 

There was a moment in time, off Martin Luther King Drive and a right turn onto Artisan Place, when 150 stood tall in its pastel blue glory, holding us close as we explored the moments that made up our early twenties. 

We built something within those already-built walls. A second home that our maps had begun to memorize as our first. A sense of womanhood, of becoming. We grew into ourselves in that space. So much so that I can’t imagine anyone else living there; it wouldn’t fit them right.

We hadn’t hit our peak yet, but that moment still mattered. Maybe it was a peak in its own right—not the most dramatic or defining, but one of many. 

It mattered because the silence that follows now—the emptiness of packed boxes and a hollowed-out living room—means it was real.

And for once, I don’t feel the need to polish it, rewrite it, or chase it.

It’s already everything it needs to be.

This is a story of suburbia, told through my take, so some things may be exaggerated or romanticized for aesthetic purposes. If you grew up in a cul-de-sac with summer pool parties, Friday night lights at the high school stadium, and a local Kroger supermarket that somehow felt like the town square, you might recognize a few things. Of course, I can only tell it how I remember it, and memory is a funny thing. It warps, softens, and frames everything through rose-colored glasses. But maybe that’s the truth of suburbia: not exactly how it was, but how it felt. 

The memories come back in pieces — some more vivid in the senses than others — but they always seem to start in the summer, under a heavy sun, with blue-stained fingers. 

The taste of those mornings still lingers. Early July, sweating through long sleeves as my mom and I picked blueberries under the beating sun. The fabric itched, the air buzzed with the chorus of cicadas, and the berries hid just out of reach in thick, leafy rows. Perspiration formed a pattern of tiny beads on the tip of my nose—my first lesson that summer meant being sticky. I ate more than I gathered in my bucket, leaving my mom to wonder how hers was overflowing while mine barely covered the bottom. 

Blueberries became my favorite fruit, not for their flavor, which most people overlook, but because of the memory they carry. Even now, one in my hand pulls me right back: standing beside my mom in endless rows. Only a suburban childhood could give a blueberry that much meaning. (Sorry, city kids.)

And the sound of those summers still hums in the back of my mind. At the Gengs’ pool, laughter echoed off the water, friends who might as well have been family. Chlorine and charcoal in the air. Potato chips soggy on the deck, stepped on and forgotten. We played “Sharks and Minnows” until the sky wore its evening colors, until the pool lights flicked on, illuminating the water and casting our shadows. Hours passed as we swam in circles, our parents on lounge chairs with drinks in hand, trading stories we were too young to understand.

Time moved in school calendars and shifting seasons, and suddenly everywhere I looked was tinged in crimson and amber. I could feel the crisp air giving way to bonfires and Fridays spent racing around the end zone of the football stadium, paint streaked across our faces in wild patterns to show our school spirit, caught in the awkward blur that was middle school. We wore matching t-shirts and screamed until our throats hurt.

October came like a golden secret. I’m running through a pumpkin patch with my dad, searching for the roundest, plumpest pumpkin to carve—one that would glow on our front stoop come Halloween. Inside, the house filled with glittery wings and plastic swords, and the smoky haze rising from the giant pot of “witches’ brew” my dad made each year.

Eventually, I’m standing shoulder to shoulder in the student section, squished like sardines among my peers, finally a cool high schooler. As kickoff begins, a customary cloud of baby powder billows over us.

At the time, nothing felt more important than standing in the student section on a Friday night. The stakes felt impossibly high: who showed up, who stood beside you, who disappeared before halftime. It was caring so deeply about something so fleeting.  

I was old enough to drive, even vote, and pumpkin patches were a thing of the past because I was sprinting through a haunted house, clinging to my friends, nearly peeing my pants—then stepping out like it didn’t faze me. Because that’s what a cool high schooler does. 

Though lately, nothing sounds better than venturing out to pick the perfect, overpriced pumpkin, fully intending to carve a masterpiece, only to abandon the mission halfway and let it sit unbothered on the porch for the neighbors to interpret.  

It wasn’t loud or in your face, but it was definitely in your business. Everyone knew everything about everyone, and everyone knew everyone. Gossip spread like wildfire. At times, it felt comforting, like a version of community, so long as you were careful who you told your secrets to. The neighborhood moms were likely the ones keeping the rumor mill turning. Their chatter was so steady that they could’ve had their own column in the local paper. It would be titled something like “Did you hear?”, with the most recent feature focused on Suzanna selling her house, plus plenty of speculation about the new man showing up in her driveway. More details to follow, of course. 

My feelings toward suburbia didn’t stay the same, and like most things you grow up with, you have to leave to see them clearly. It wasn’t until I left for college—surrounded by new places, new people, unfamiliar streets—that I realized just how much larger everything felt back then, how the small and ordinary once carried so much weight. 

I thought the blueberry fields stretched forever—they didn’t. They were just a patch, maybe the size of a Kroger parking lot off a quiet road. I thought the deep end of the pool was as vast as the ocean—it wasn’t. I thought my dad’s witches’ brew was real-–it was just dry ice. I thought the haunted house would be how I died. Just as once I thought the suburbs were the whole world.

The burnt toast theory is a belief that minor inconveniences can actually lead to better outcomes later on. It’s called that because, say you burn your toast in the morning — that tiny delay might have made you late to work, but maybe it also saved you from a car accident and, in the process, put you in the right place to meet someone who could change your life. The idea is, that little thing you thought ruined your day might have actually rerouted you toward something better. And yes, like many modern philosophies, it began on Twitter (now X) and TikTok, if that tells you anything.

Believing in the burnt toast theory is the cool, new way of accepting what didn’t work out, and turning it into a deep philosophical lesson. It’s our generation’s version of “everything happens for a reason,” but more cinematic. Maybe it’s to make ourselves feel better about what could've been. Or maybe it really was a near death experience and burning your toast that morning did save your life.

Some people slap the theory on every minor inconvenience to feel like things “worked out” and they’re totally unbothered, like a Band-Aid, but make it philosophical. But maybe it’s not a theory at all and, instead, just a romanticized way of looking at life.

Or maybe it’s just… kismet.

Maybe things were always going to happen the way they did — not because your toast burned, your Uber canceled, or you missed your train — but simply because they were meant to. Then that's not really a theory at all, it’s just fate doing what fate does.

Either way, I couldn’t stop thinking about all of this a couple weeks ago, while slowly unraveling at the airport.

I was flying standby, hoping the universe would grant me mercy. I didn’t make one flight. Not two. Not three. Six. Back. To. Back. By noon, I was sleep-deprived emotionally worn down, like that forgotten suitcase endlessly looping the conveyor belt when no one claims it.

And yet, there I was, desperately reaching for some deeper meaning.

“Maybe… maybe I wasn’t meant to make those flights,” I whispered to no one. “Maybe the plane was cursed. Or maybe I was supposed to go home and… I don’t know, witness a butterfly landing on my driveway as a metaphor for rebirth?”

But was I really having a spiritual awakening? Or just trying to stop myself from crashing out in front of the Dunkin Donuts at Gate B12? (Crashing out, in Gen Z terms, is basically having a full public meltdown.)

That’s when I started asking myself, “Is the burnt toast theory just a blanket we pull over life’s daily inconveniences? Is it really about the near-misses and almosts? Or did I just romanticize my breakdown?”

The more I thought about it, the more it felt like the theory isn’t really about truth or fate at all, maybe it’s just about comfort. A way to make peace with whatever just ruined your day. A modern coping mechanism, one that helps people stay sane in an unpredictable world, and part of a larger trend of romanticizing inconvenience as a way to feel in control.

Part of that comfort comes from the instinct to reframe everything. Nothing stays a minor inconvenience anymore; it’s turned into a story. Every hiccup becomes a plot twist in personal narrative, or a three-part TikTok storytime. Sleeping through your alarm becomes “divine timing” so you could avoid awkward small talk with the person whose name you can’t remember in the elevator. A flat tire? Just the universe forcing you to slow down and “reflect on the inflation of your ego.” Burnt toast theory.

And now, writing this article? Clearly the universe needed me to hang a frame above my bed that says “Burnt Toast Theory” in big, serif letters. Because it was all meant to be, obviously.

You gotta give it to Gen Z—if nothing else, we know how to turn inconvenience into introspection. Maybe it’s fate. Maybe it’s breakfast. Or maybe it’s just a story we tell ourselves so the day feels a little less chaotic.

Fall is officially here, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been counting down to this moment since July. I could be swimming in the ocean in the middle of summer, having the time of my life, and still find myself wishing I were diving into a pile of leaves instead.

The other day I made a craft, thinking I could will autumn to arrive faster. The same way that chain coffee shops release their autumn menu in the middle of August while we are literally in the midst of a heat wave. (I know they do this for marketing purposes, but let’s stick with the narrative that it’s really for the people, giving us the chance to experience the best season ever as early as possible.)

I found the craft on Pinterest. It was one of those projects claiming to need only three materials and “five minutes!” Maybe it does take five minutes for someone less artistically challenged, but Pinterest should start adding disclaimers that five minutes is only true if you can cut everything perfectly on the first try and avoid burning yourself with the hot glue gun. My craft definitely needed that disclaimer.

I don’t feel as alone in my impatience when pumpkin menus start popping up mid-August. Some people roll their eyes at that (and honestly, they’re probably just normal.) But for the rest of us, what is our obsession with accelerating the season? Why do we romanticize a season until it can’t possibly live up to the hype? I don’t have the answer for that today, and this isn’t the philosophical deep dive you might’ve anticipated, so if you were hoping for a full analysis of your seasonal obsession, definitely get that checked out. What I do have, though, is a list that might help you figure out whether you’re guilty of overhyping fall, and what that could say about you.

Signs you’re too obsessed with fall

You keep buying pumpkins to decorate the house, even though there’s literally no space left on that mantel. (Looking at you, Mom.)

You’re turning everything pumpkin flavored, even homemade latte syrups, despite the fact that pumpkin purée never actually dissolves and just leaves sad chunks at the bottom. (I’m calling out myself here.)

You’re making multiple Trader Joe’s runs each week just to restock on Pumpkin Spice Chardonnay, which is, terrifyingly, a real product.

You’re currently sweating through a sweater and jeans, but you have to fit the aesthetic.

You’re genuinely nauseated by that pumpkin-apple-spice-nutmeg candle you bought, but you keep burning it anyway.

Bonus points if you blew the rest of your grocery budget on said candle.

What each says about you 

The Pumpkin Purist: You’re a basic fall lover, clinging to pumpkins while the rest of us have leveled up to floating candles, as seen in “Harry Potter.”

The PSL Chemist: You’re dedicated enough to stomach pumpkin mixed with espresso, but you also might just be a terrible mixologist.

The Trader Joe’s Gladiator: You’re a risk-taker, subjecting your taste buds to pumpkin spice wine, and braving the anxiety-inducing chaos of a Trader Joe’s parking lot. Or maybe you just have way too much free time on your hands.

The Sweater Martyr: You’re committed to the aesthetic. But you’re either rich enough to crank your AC low enough to survive sweaters in 85-degree weather, or you just “don’t sweat.”

The Unwavering Loyalist: You’re too obsessed to admit your candle choice was terrible, so you burn it anyway. You’re also pretty bad with your money.

So, whether you’re sipping lumpy pumpkin lattes or sweating through sweaters in 85-degree heat, remember, it’s all part of the fall experience. And if you related to more than half this list, you might be just as unhinged about fall as I am. If not, congrats; you’re one of the normal ones. Just don’t confuse restraint with superiority.

 Rouge Magazine 2023 - Blog Columnist & Writer

 Rouge Magazine 2024 & 2025 - Editor-In-Chief