December did not ease me out of the year.
It came with full rooms, food security conversations, SBCS students, book nerves, camera discomfort, a last minute training in Miami, roti packed for the road, Sparkle flying in, and Florida deciding to have a cold front like it had something to prove.
So yes.
December was full.
Not glamorous full. Not perfectly planned full.
Just real life full.
A Full Room at the Indian Consulate
I attended a food security event hosted by the Indian Consulate, and I was honestly surprised by how packed the room was.
I did not get a chair for at least 30 minutes.
Now, to be fair, that may have had something to do with me arriving late. Accountability must visit me too.
But I was not the only one standing. There were about a dozen of us against the wall, and the room was properly filled.
That stayed with me.
Because every time I see people show up for conversations around food security, agriculture, production, and regional supply, it confirms something I already know from working with YES customers.
People care about these things.
They may not always use formal language. They may not call it “food systems” or “supply chain resilience” over Sunday lunch. But they feel it.
They feel it in grocery prices.
They feel it when farmers struggle.
They feel it when local processors cannot get packaging.
They feel it when a business has demand but cannot produce consistently.
They feel it when we keep importing things we should be able to make, grow, package, or support better right here.
So the full room mattered.
It was not just an event. It was a signal.
The interest is there. The concern is there. The question, as always, is what happens after everyone leaves the room.
Back at SBCS
I was also back at SBCS in December.
And honestly, I loved seeing the students again.
This time, the product was different, but the business questions were familiar: agri-business, local fruit juices with a twist, and all the practical details that come after the excitement of a good idea.
That is the part I enjoy.
A nice flavour is a start. A nice label is a start. A clever idea is a start.
But the business lives or dies in the less sexy parts.
Costing.
Shelf life.
Packaging.
Production flow.
Equipment choice.
Consistency.
How much labour the process takes.
Whether the person can repeat the product without burning out.
Those are the conversations I care about because that is where many small businesses get caught.
They do not usually fail because the idea is bad.
They struggle because the thing around the idea cannot hold it yet.
So being back in that room felt useful. It reminded me that I enjoy teaching from the ground, not from theory alone.
I can bring the customer calls, the equipment mistakes, the business patterns, and the things I have seen people learn the hard way.
And if I can help someone see the problem before they spend money badly, that is a good day’s work.
Breaking Barrels and the Camera Problem
December also brought me back to Breaking Barrels.
I started polishing the book again, which felt good and uncomfortable at the same time.
Good because the work matters to me.
Uncomfortable because polishing it means I am getting closer to sharing it properly.
And sharing it properly means I have to put my face out there.
That is where the trouble started.
I recorded my first video for the book, and whew.
I hated how uncomfortable I felt.
I do not know why being on camera still does that to me. Actually, I do know. I just wish I did not.
When I write, I can sit with the thought. I can edit. I can soften. I can sharpen. I can decide what I am ready to say and how I want to say it.
But camera feels different.
Camera feels like my face has entered the chat before my confidence arrived.
Suddenly every flaw feels louder. Every insecurity feels visible. My voice sounds strange. My expressions feel strange. I start wondering if people will look at me and think, “Who does she feel she is?”
And there it is.
Imposter syndrome.
My sometimes companion.
It does not live with me full time, but it definitely knows my address. It comes out the car every so often, sits down, causes disturbance, and then eventually leaves.
Breaking Barrels brings it out because this is not just business content.
This is personal.
This is daughterhood, caregiving, responsibility, boundaries, family, identity, and the kind of emotional labour that does not always come with a clean explanation.
Talking about equipment is easier.
Talking about systems is easier.
Talking about the parts of your life that shaped you before you fully understood them?
That is another thing.
Still, I recorded the video.
Uncomfortable or not, I did it.
And sometimes that is the whole win.
A Last Minute RIC Training in Miami
Then came a last minute in-person RIC training in Miami.
The training was booked for December 30th, because apparently the year wanted one final piece of action before closing.
My usual kitchen classroom was not available.
Of course.
But one of my customers came through and rented me his store for a good rate so I could host the class there.
And honestly, that may have worked out better.
Using an actual store gave the training a different feel. More realistic. More grounded. Less “classroom demonstration” and more “this is what the business actually looks like.”
That matters with rolled ice cream.
Online, it can look simple.
A cold pan. Some cream. A few toppings. Cute rolls. Nice video.
But real operation is different.
It is prep.
Speed.
Menu control.
Cleaning.
Customer flow.
Portion control.
Knowing how not to turn every order into a tiny personal crisis.
The students drove in from Georgia, and funny enough, we ended up staying at the same hotel.
The training went off without a hitch, and they were honestly the most adorable couple.
Serious enough to learn. Warm enough to make the day easy. Curious without being chaotic.
That is a blessing in any training.
Packing Roti Like a Proper Trini
Before the trip, I made sweet packages for the people I planned to meet in Florida.
About six packages in total.
Because apparently I cannot just travel with clothes and a passport. I must also travel like somebody’s aunty with goods.
I also cooked good old Trini roti for the trip, complete with mango.
Priorities.
There is something about bringing food from home when you travel. It changes the whole feeling.
Business may have been the reason for the trip, but food made it warmer. I shared treats and roti with my students and friends, and it felt good.
A little piece of Trinidad in Florida.
A little “I came to teach, but also eat this.”
Sometimes care looks like a formal plan.
Sometimes it looks like roti wrapped up properly and packed in your bag.
Sparkle, St. Augustine and Immediate Regret
Sparkle flew out to meet me so we could spend part of the season together.
Since we were in Florida, we decided to drive to St. Augustine.
In our minds, this was going to be cute.
A little road trip. Historic town. Christmas lights. Nice scenes. Maybe a little exploring.
In reality, it was about a one and a half hour drive followed by two hours of traffic when we got there.
Two hours.
By the time we finally reached, we got out, peed, bought a donut, and drove right back.
That was the St. Augustine experience.
Bathroom. Donut. Exit.
No parking. Too much traffic. Too many people. We were done.
And honestly, sometimes that is the wisdom.
Not every plan needs to be rescued.
Sometimes you assess the situation, accept defeat, buy a donut, and go home before the vexation rises up and takes over the vehicle.
Florida Betrayed the Agreement
And as if the St. Augustine nonsense was not enough, Florida was having a cold front.
A cold front.
In Florida.
Who packs for that?
When I hear Florida, I am thinking warm weather. Maybe a light jacket if the place gets bold at night. Not this foolishness.
I was freezing.
Properly freezing.
And as a Caribbean woman, I took it personally.
The Airbnb added its own little drama. The previous guest had left the AC on high, and because the home was older, it took forever to warm up.
So there we were, in Florida, during a cold front, inside a cold house.
Comedy with a booking confirmation.
Thankfully, the hosts were helpful and sent portable warmers until the place warmed up properly.
And thankfully, I had people there, so Sparkle and I were taken care of.
But let the record show: Florida did not behave.
What December Left Me With
December was a mix of rooms I chose and rooms I had to push myself into.
The Indian Consulate event reminded me that food security is not a niche conversation. People are paying attention.
SBCS reminded me that I enjoy helping entrepreneurs think through the real business behind the product.
Breaking Barrels reminded me that I can write the hard thing and still be nervous to stand in front of it.
The Miami training reminded me that sometimes a last minute change gives you a better setup than the original plan.
Florida reminded me to check the weather like a sensible adult.
And Sparkle reminded me that even a failed outing can become a story once there is a donut involved.
December was not smooth, but it moved.
I showed up late and stood against a wall.
I showed up in a classroom.
I showed up on camera, uncomfortable face and all.
I showed up in Miami to train.
I showed up with roti.
I showed up for friendship.
And maybe that is enough of a closing for the year.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
But present.
English 
Spanish