Ina Garten

And then choose what I want to do. And once I've made that decision, I'm good to go. Are you the same way?

Oh, I totally do, yeah.

Oh, I totally do, yeah.

Isn't that interesting? Yeah. Well, I mean, whatever you're doing, keep doing it because you're totally beloved.

Isn't that interesting? Yeah. Well, I mean, whatever you're doing, keep doing it because you're totally beloved.

For whatever you do.

For whatever you do.

It does. You know, it's funny. I was just telling somebody recently, people think that being in a marriage is confining in some way, but I find it's just the opposite. It's like a big anchor, like a stake in the middle of my life. And it actually gives me more freedom because I know I will always come back to that stake, to that. It's solid. It's supportive. It's positive.

It does. You know, it's funny. I was just telling somebody recently, people think that being in a marriage is confining in some way, but I find it's just the opposite. It's like a big anchor, like a stake in the middle of my life. And it actually gives me more freedom because I know I will always come back to that stake, to that. It's solid. It's supportive. It's positive.

Well, I think it's different now. When we lived in Washington, it was much more traditional. I mean, it was the 70s. And he worked in the State Department. He worked for Kissinger. and Secretary of State Vance. And I worked in OMB. It was always expected that I was going to cook dinner. They were kind of roles that we played. And I've increasingly disliked those roles.

Well, I think it's different now. When we lived in Washington, it was much more traditional. I mean, it was the 70s. And he worked in the State Department. He worked for Kissinger. and Secretary of State Vance. And I worked in OMB. It was always expected that I was going to cook dinner. They were kind of roles that we played. And I've increasingly disliked those roles.

And so I think my move to buy a specialty food store and have my own business was really breaking out of those roles. So there was a little bit of a time where we had to figure that out. But he just, he's so intuitive and so respectful of me and so encouraging me to, to do what I want to do that it wasn't a terrible, you know, we worked it out. Right. And I think he's freer and I'm freer.

And so I think my move to buy a specialty food store and have my own business was really breaking out of those roles. So there was a little bit of a time where we had to figure that out. But he just, he's so intuitive and so respectful of me and so encouraging me to, to do what I want to do that it wasn't a terrible, you know, we worked it out. Right. And I think he's freer and I'm freer.

So it's, it's now, it became more of a partnership rather than like traditional roles. Yes. There was a time in our life where he was offered to live in Tokyo for a year. And I had just signed a lease for a store in East Hampton. And we were like, what are we going to do? And he said, you know what? Let's both do what we want to do because we can't choose.

So it's, it's now, it became more of a partnership rather than like traditional roles. Yes. There was a time in our life where he was offered to live in Tokyo for a year. And I had just signed a lease for a store in East Hampton. And we were like, what are we going to do? And he said, you know what? Let's both do what we want to do because we can't choose.

If we get to do what I want to do, you'll resent it. And if I don't get to do that and I have to stay in East Hampton, then I'll resent it. So let's just do it. Let's do it for a while and see if anybody's unhappy, we'll make a change. And? It worked out fine. Actually, after a year, I wrote to him and I said, you know, I think you need to come home because it's not that I'm miserable.

If we get to do what I want to do, you'll resent it. And if I don't get to do that and I have to stay in East Hampton, then I'll resent it. So let's just do it. Let's do it for a while and see if anybody's unhappy, we'll make a change. And? It worked out fine. Actually, after a year, I wrote to him and I said, you know, I think you need to come home because it's not that I'm miserable.

I'm just fine. And I think it's a bad idea.

I'm just fine. And I think it's a bad idea.

No, it wasn't a struggle at all. I had no interest in having children. None? I just had a terrible childhood, and it was nothing I wanted to recreate. I think now looking back, I might say I see my friends with their children, and I understand why.