Truckin’ and Pluckin’
Weeding was not how I imagined my summer internship. But who does? At Pairings Bistro in Bel Air, weeding was one of the many tasks I completed. From waking up at 6 AM to open the food truck for the farmer’s market, to staying at the restaurant until 11 PM cleaning and restocking the truck for our next catered event, Pairings was an experience that I will never forget. But let’s start from the beginning.
When I was tasked with finding an internship, I imagined working in the quaint coffee shop, The Village Market, next door. But after meetings with managers, we decided to do a mix of everything. I harvested fruit and vegetables from the garden, weeded garden beds, served customers at breweries, took their orders, made food, cleaned the food truck countless times, and took pictures for events Pairings was a part of. My early mornings were my least favorite. As a hard-core night owl, waking up early on a weekend was a nightmare come true. The perk of being up early was being able to indulge in breakfast burritos and Rosa’s, one of the cooks, famous salsa using the tomatoes I hand-picked a couple of days before. As the temperature and crowd increased, my energy did too. Even though it was difficult, interacting with the public was fun, and seeing regulars and my friends and family come back every week put a smile on my face. Ross, my most consistent coworker, exercised my use of communication skills and trust this summer. In an enclosed space, with hot surfaces and sharp objects, being vocal was a requirement. When we were swamped with orders, calling out what orders were coming in, being made, or completed alleviated confusion. While all shifts weren’t smooth, communication and trust helped us be aware of what each other needed to be our best selves.
As my time at Pairings came to an end, I was sad. Although I didn’t love everything, that was expected. This experience has helped me realize that I do not want to do manual labor as a job and I like being my job and home close together. What I already knew though, was Pairings is a family. As a small staff of about 60, we care about each other. I had gotten comfortable with my shifts and coworkers. Ryan, one of my coworkers said I “was the best person he had seen work the food truck for the first time.” Encouragement like that made me eager to be at Pairings. We had jokes, car rides, and fun creating food. If you ever find yourself in Harford County wanting a great meal and friendly atmosphere, find yourself at Pairings Bistro!
