The Meatpacking District in New York is full of beautiful Manhattanites, working professionals, and stylish tourists who are staying at the nearby Gansevoort Hotel and the Standard. So when you see a tall man in a cowboy hat with a plaid cowboy shirt strolling through, you do a double take. The man is Chuck Miller, with wisps of white hair peeking out from under his hat and the deepest of blue eyes, behind which lies a history of tradition and pride.

It’s a cool and rainy day in the Catskills (worthy of a Rip Van Winkle nap), but the oven keeps baker Craig Thompson’s cottage toasty and warm. The country home is tucked between a rocky creek and the rising slopes of muffin-shaped mountains. Surrounded by patches of garden, everything here is thriving and lush, made greener by the rain.

It sounds like an idyllic life—cooking inventive meals in private homes, working flexible hours, spending your days shopping at the greenmarket, and getting paid to do it all.