Accidentally on Purpose (Kristen Kish)

Kristen Kish never could have imagined people on the street knowing her namenot when she was a carefree softball-tossing kid, in high school working at a pretzel stand, and not even when she finally found her true calling as a chef. In those early days, becoming a chef meant tethering oneself to a restaurant and working in the back of a kitchen, not a television set. But working in the spotlight happened naturally, even if the attention was totally unanticipated. And like most things in Kristens life, the road was so much more winding and complicated than it may have appeared from the outside.

From growing up as an adoptee in the Midwest, to trying to fit in with all the other girls who were busy dating boys, to coming out and finding love when she least expected it, Kristen learned that, unlike a map, no set of plans or definitions can dictate or explain a life. In fact, accidents happen. Curveballs will come. And even the full-circle momentslike winning Top Chef to becoming its Emmy-nominated host years latercould have guaranteed these opportunities.

InAccidentally on Purpose, what defines Kristens story arent the missteps or even the pleasant surprises that crop up but how she learned to find her voice and use it. Because while accidents may be unexpected, they dont have to be at odds with purpose. And as Kristen approaches lifes milestones, big and small, with intention, she realizes at those juncturesthe ones beyond the borders of the map, behind-the-scenes, and off cameraare where the decisions and discoveries are made. Where the unexpected meets the intentional. And thats where things get really interesting.