Behind the Line: Meet Chef Heath 🔪✈️
For nearly twenty years, my world was defined by the high-pressure, relentless rhythm of professional kitchens. As a working sous chef and kitchen manager, I know how to run a line, control margins, and keep a kitchen profitable. In our industry, time and money are the only things that matter—if you waste either, there is no profit.
I applied that exact same discipline to my personal life. I put my head down, pulled my shifts, and worked to build what I thought was a permanent routine. For fifteen years, I shared a home, a life, and a future with my partner.
Then, my relationship ended.
Suddenly, the burners were cold, the workspace was empty, and the "prep list" I had spent a decade and a half working on was completely useless. I was forty-seven years old, staring at a blank kitchen, and realizing that while I had done an incredible amount of heavy, labor-intensive preparation, I had never actually paused to enjoy the fruits of my labor.
My turning point arrived in the form of an invitation from my boss and dear friend, Asia, and a little blue booklet. At forty-seven, I got my first-ever passport.
Holding that passport was a massive milestone. It was a physical declaration that my decades of "prep" were finally over. It was time to start firing the tickets.
But let’s be real: I’m a working sous chef, not a luxury travel writer. I don’t travel to sit in pretentious dining rooms. When I’m on the road, I am on the move—routinely clocking 25,000 steps a day with a bottle of water in my backpack. I don't need a white tablecloth to appreciate good food; I want quality sustenance—convenient, cheap, and delicious fuel (like a $19 CAD Chinatown buffet) that keeps me moving.
I travel exactly like I work: planned, quick, efficient, and highly budget-conscious. Just like in a professional kitchen, time and money matter.
This blog, Mise en Place & Miles, is where I share my boots-on-the-ground formula for maximizing your travel margins:
* Smart "Perk-Stacking": Showing you how to leverage everyday accounts you already pay for—like credit card perks or phone plan benefits—to travel well on a working-class budget.
* The "Fail-Forward" Pivot: In a kitchen, when things go sideways, you don't shut down service—you pivot. I share honest, unfiltered stories of how to handle travel disruptions without losing your cool.
* LGBTQ+ Safe Havens: Sharing my perspective as a midlife solo gay traveler to highlight inclusive neighborhoods and welcoming stops where you can truly be yourself.
I’m proof that you don't have to quit your day job or have a trust fund to find your place in the world. You just have to be willing to step out of the prep kitchen and finally taste the meal.
Let’s fire the next course! 🥂🍳
