A collection of guides, reflections, and resources on studying gastronomy, moving to Spain, and exploring Basque culture.
Fermentation Is Technology: How GOe Turns Microbes Into Flavor, Sustainability, and New Possibilities
Fermentation isn’t a trend, it’s a technology. GOe is using microorganisms, labs, and culinary creativity to design foods that are delicious, healthy, and sustainable.
Fermentation, GOe Tech Center, microbiology, flavor innovation, sustainable food, gastronomy technology, San Sebastián
Designing Delicious: Why Sensory Science Is the Most Underrated Food Technology
Sensory science turns “cool ideas” into food people love. Here’s how GOe approaches sensory evaluation, chef panels, and consumer insight to design delicious outcomes.
Sensory analysis, GOe Tech Center, consumer science, chef panels, product development, flavor perception, San Sebastián
GOe in San Sebastián: When a Building Becomes a Food Innovation Ecosystem
San Sebastián just gained a new kind of landmark: GOe, Gastronomy Open Ecosystem. It’s not only a building; it’s an ecosystem that connects education, research, entrepreneurship, and public engagement to build a more delicious (and more sustainable) future. Here’s what GOe is, why it matters, and what I’m learning from being in this environment.
#GOe #SanSebastian #FoodInnovation #Gastronomy #FoodTech #SensoryScience #Fermentation
Santo Tomás Day: When Food, Farmers, and Rent Built a City
I almost stayed home, but Santo Tomás pulled me into the streets of Donostia, where smoke, corn talo, and txistorra turned a winter day into a living archive. This is the story of a festival rooted in rent, land, labor, and how studying food systems is changing the way I see everything.
Countdown to Spain: Preparing for Grad School Abroad
My final‑week plan before moving to Spain for grad school. Documents, tech setup, packing, calm travel routines, and first‑72‑hours on arrival.
How I Got My Spanish Student Visa (and What I Learned)
My Spanish student visa process via BLS Miami. Documents, insurance, FBI apostille, timing, and what I’d do differently.
Why I Built Mel in Motion
I’m moving to Spain for a Master’s in Gastronomic Sciences. Mel in Motion is my honest record of food, culture, and slow courage.
Why I’m Moving to Spain in My Mid-30s to Study Gastronomy
In just a few weeks, I’ll be boarding a one-way flight to Spain with two suitcases, a backpack, and a heart full of anticipation. This isn’t just a move abroad — it’s the beginning of a new chapter rooted in food, culture, and courage. But what does it really mean to start over in your mid-30s? Why Spain? Why now? And what happens when excitement and fear live side by side?
The Story Behind Mel in Motion
When I chose the name Mel in Motion, it wasn’t just about moving abroad. It was about healing, curiosity, and courage. And a promise to myself to keep growing. Here’s what the name means and why it matters.
What does “motion” mean to you in your own life? Have you ever chosen a name (for a project, a journal, or a dream) that captured more than just words?
What Is Gastronomy? Food, Culture, and Why It Matters (to Me)
Gastronomy isn’t just cooking. It’s food in context: culture, sustainability, science, justice, and story. Here’s what it is, why it matters, and why I’m making it my life’s work.
gastronomy, what is gastronomy, food culture, food justice, gastronomy meaning, food sustainability, Basque food culture, gastronomy student
5 Food-Related Things I Wish I Could Pack But Can’t
Food is one of the deepest ways I stay connected to home. As I move abroad, here are the five food-related things I wish I could pack and what they represent.
Which food screams “home” for you? What grocery store item would you miss most if you moved abroad?
What I'm Studying This Semester and Why It Matters
What if graduate school weren’t only about a degree, but about transforming your life intentionally? This semester, I’m at the university in Spain studying gastronomy, but every course addresses something more profound: healing, justice, creativity, and care. From sensory perceptions to ethics of business, this is what I’m learning and why it’s transforming everything.
What Is Gastronomic Science?
Gastronomic Science blends the art of cooking with the rigor of research. Here’s how it’s shaping our understanding of food, flavors, and human experience.
Why I chose the Basque Culinary Center
After years of searching for the right path, I found a graduate program that felt made for me. Here’s why I chose the Basque Culinary Center to study Gastronomic Sciences.
Why I Chose Gastronomy As a Healing Path
This isn’t just a career change. It’s a healing process. Here’s why I chose gastronomy as my way forward. And why food is helping me build a life that finally feels like mine.
The Science of Salt: Why It’s the Backbone of Every Flavor
Salt doesn’t just season food, it transforms it. Here’s the science of why salt is the true backbone of flavor in every cuisine.
Cooking Like the Ancestors: A Journey Through Basque Food Traditions
Explore how Basque culinary heritage preserves ancestral cooking methods that connect us to land, culture, and memory.
How Playing with Your Food Teaches You More Than Any Textbook
Discover how playful cooking awakens curiosity, creativity, and embodied knowledge that no textbook can replicate.