Ha, funny I went the other way round. I started out with FOH hospitality before retraining as a chef in my mid 20s and then quitting to get a degree in my early 30s because I felt like couldn't keep up with the lifestyle anymore. The last dealer I met before leaving starting university was a chef I'd met through work.I have a bachelor's degree and had intended to go on to graduate school, pursuing a career in education or psych research.
I fell in love with cooking but half the reason I stayed in kitchens was for the drugs, my druggie coworkers, and the fact that I could drink & get high on the job