Recently I have entered a new realm of the Internet, and I cannot stop watching cooking videos. It started out as simply watching Buzzfeed's "Tasty" videos on Facebook, but now I follow the Food Network, and spend a good portion of my free time looking up cooking videos on YouTube.

I don't know if it's because it seems to be a trend on social media, watching these how-to videos about cooking, or the fact that I'm a college student who is tired of dining hall food and need something to distract me from it.

I've actually learned a lot from watching these videos, and now I've started watching the Food Network religiously, I mean, who doesn't love "Chopped?" I'm learning a lot about new foods I didn't even know existed, especially in that show because the chefs have to use mystery ingredients that could turn out to be pig liver in a dessert dish.

There's something about watching the preparation of it, seeing a chef or an ordinary day person taking simple ingredients and being able to combine them and create something great. Lately I've been feeling the need to cook up a storm, even though I really can't at the moment because I'm at college. The fanciest I can probably get is heating up a bowl of ramen in the microwave.

I've been saving recipes for when I get the chance to let my inner chef run free in the kitchen. I think it's actually really interesting to save up recipes, and it can be bonding activity with others. I never thought about how much food really connects us all, through all different cultures and dishes. So maybe my cooking video addiction isn't necessarily a bad habit; it's really opening me up to seeing cooking from all around the world.

I love when they show you videos of breakfasts from around the world, and how the dishes vary so much from what I'm used to. It's given me a new perspective about trying new foods, and pushing myself out of the comfort zone. There's so much you can do with say 5 simple ingredients. You just have to think outside of the box sometimes.

I don't think I'll ever become a chef or anything, but I definitely think I want to take up cooking as a hobby someday, or just learn how to cook better in general. It's a good skill to have, and I definitely want to acquire a better understanding of food. So, I will keep watching my cooking videos and shows because one day I will be cooking up some delicious dishes. I encourage you to take a closer look a food, because you never know what recipe you'll find.