I've always said in an alternate life I'd like to be a baker. And seeing that I'm only 30, I keep telling myself it's really not too late to make that happen in this life. So when I saw an ad for cooperative bakers at a pizza and sweet shop I'd heard of, I immediately signed up for the orientation. In their materials, they discuss how they train you as a baker for 4 months before the shop opens (and pay you a fair wage during this time). It seemed like a no-brainer: I'm currently freelancing and not making much money, and someone would pay me while they taught me how to make morning buns and thin pizzas? Sign me up. I received an email about the orientation, informing me it would be 3 hours and I was required to stay for the whole thing. Yikes. But hey, it was kismet. This was the answer to my "alternate life" dilemma. At the orientation, I learned all about collectives (as Arizmendi is a collective based on the Cheese Board in Berkeley) and communal decision making. I started to get a little nervous. I have a strong, domineering personality. But hey, I wanted to learn how to make kookie brittle and chocolate chunk cookies for the masses.