I’m a Barista

So, I am a barista. If you told 17-year-old Chloe she would be a barista with a college degree, she would be disappointed. Or laugh. I am laughing now.

Three days a week, I am awoken by the smell of freshly brewed coffee, picking up crunchy and fluffy croissants. I see the same people every time or I see someone I’ve never seen before. I am consistently bewildered by the stories of where they came from and where they are going. I am a barista, but I am kind of like an anthropologist. Whether I’m the conversation after the dentist appointment or the smile before a custody hearing. I have been the doormat of love stories and family histories. Ensuring I give decaf to the pregnant lady and skim milk to the old lady. There’s something about being just a person in between the lives of others. Just a coffee. I leave it with just a smile.

I am laughing now because I love being a barista.