Coffee is always a good idea…

So, at 48 years old I became a Barista…

I work part time at a coffee and plant shop and absolutely love it. It’s in a quaint area where I live surrounded by trendy retail shops, boutiques, bars and eateries. Our patrons are laid back, never in a rush and always good for conversation.

The shop itself is a whole vibe. Gorgeous plants everywhere, boho-chic décor, good music and fresh air. The coffee is top-notch and includes notes of brown sugar and stone fruit. The syrups are homemade and just different- vanilla, lavender, honey almond, mocha and berry. The matcha is just creamy perfection, and the teas are fragrant and lively.  Amazing!

Y’all, I feel like I literally found my dream job.

A part time gig has been on my mind for quite a while. I was getting burned out with my career and often thought about a change but had no clue how or where to start over. Also working from home can be very isolating. Yeah, I know that sounds crazy, and trust I don’t think I can go back into an office, but I’m alone with my dogs for nearly 10 hours. I needed an outlet outside my home that was just for me.

Working part time offers a break in the monotony, allows me to try something different and make some extra change. It was always a dream to open a quaint little eatery or coffee shop, but I had no clue how to run a restaurant or make coffee lol. Also, I don’t have the guts to run my own business anyway, so I started scouting out coffee shops for my part time gig.

I visited the coffee shop one weekend for an event and completely fell in love. I asked the owner that day for a job and started working weeks later. Learning how to make various coffee drinks and operating the grinder and espresso machines were the most intimidating parts of training. There was just so much to remember; exact measurements and processes, grinding the coffee beans, hand mixing the matcha, and proper water temperature and time for steeping the tea leaves. But my fellow co-workers were patient trainers and in no time I became a pro. I now know the difference between a latte, macchiato, cortado Americano and cafe au lait. I can serve you a pour over, London Fog (my personal favorite), dirty chai and a matcha latte.

Having this new skill satisfies my Gemini heart and fills a void I can’t clearly identify. But it was there and now I feel refreshed. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep this job, but I’m hoping it doesn’t cease from boredom. I’m having too much fun right now.

Fun fact: I’m by far the oldest person employed (avg age is 24). The owner told the group that she hired someone older, and they were expecting an old lady and was quite unhappy lol. They were all surprised when I walked in and couldn’t believe I had a daughter their age. I consider myself young at heart and felt right at home with the youngsters 😊