There I stood, looking at the snow-covered peak, the flags of past groups staying on top, a constant reminder of others trips to the summit.

Beside the flags lay the dead bodies of hikers who never made it down.

I picked one of them up and ate it.

I had baked Mount Everest. There was no snow, it was just shredded coconut. The dead hikers were really just gummy bears, and the flags sat buried in a thick layer of chocolate frosting.

I took my monstrosity of a cake to school as a class project, and it was no surprise to me that it was a hit with the classroom. Everybody loves cake.

Baking has been a significant part of my life. From a very early age I remember making Fig Square, a traditional New England dessert, with my dad. The crust required a solid hour of mixing in order to reach the correct consistency, but the ordeal ended with beautiful flakey squares that held sweet fig filling.

These memories defined my childhood, and I realized the profound effect that baked goods have on people. Everybody loves receiving fresh baked foods. Bringing a cake into a room can instantly change the mood from drab to excited.

The act of baking anything is one of the most satisfying activities a person can partake in. Seeing all the different dry and wet ingredients come together to end up completely changed from the way they started is truly amazing.

A small part of me has thought about turning my love of baking into a career. The only problem with that is I’m scared people would judge me for not sticking to a traditional career path.
The one thing I know for a fact is that a career in baking would be a dream come true.

No matter what path I choose for my life, I will always keep my love of baking. I frequently bring baked goods to my classes purely for the joy it gives me to see other people happy.

While they smile and eat their cake, I know for a fact that their momentary joy is directly related to something I created.

For me, that is one of the best feelings of all.