On Working as a Barista

Working as a barista during the summer and fall of 2024 was my first real job that was outside of college. When I was younger, I thought of owning a coffee shop because I really liked the smell of coffee. I wasn’t allowed to drink coffee then, but I love it now. I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity because the job really helped me get out of my own shell. I was really shy, but I was forced to greet customers. I grew to enjoy the pressure that came with “sucking at something to get good at it.”

Well, it was more like I had to get good at it (i.e. at making coffee and speaking with people). I wanted to keep my job. I wanted to grow, take on more responsibilities, and take a step towards becoming an independent adult (yay).

I found that I am (for sure) an introvert. I enjoy talking, but there is a cap to my social battery. I need to be alone to recharge. Though, I’ve found that it extended my social battery because I feel I can handle a lot more now. Or I got better at time management. Probably the last part because I’m still a student.

There is so much value in socialization that I didn’t realize before this job. I got to meet a whole lot of people—even if they were just brief interactions. It helped me find people who share the same interests as I do. I don’t think I’ve ever felt connecting with people as tangibly as I do now.

I think I’ll end up buying an espresso machine when I get my own space. I got into matcha because of this. (I’ve really enjoyed Ooika’s matcha and Rocky’s Matcha paired up with Whole Foods’ brand of oat milk.) I love coffee, but the caffeine tends to be too much for me. Oftentimes, I enjoy making my lattes half-caf. That’s one shot caffeinated and one shot de-caffeinated. I started to enjoy tea more too. I’ve really been digging Sugimoto’s kukicha. I find the process of making the drinks themselves to be grounding.