I might sound a little bit biased here, but I don’t think there is anything as passionate as the coffee industry. And yes, you don’t have to agree. But somewhere between those peak periods and sleepy morning shifts, we baristas, get attached to it. And unlike any other job, to work as a barista is to love what you do and yep, share it with others. Your co-workers became your friends and your store became your home.
But the only permanent thing in this damn world is that everything is not hella permanent. Haha, again what? And here’s something about the legit sadness of finding out that we are going to be transferred to the other store. Like freakin’ ouch huh?
And “yeah okay 😊” you tell your store manager from one of those seriously terrifying ‘sit-downs’ couple of days before your transfer. But deep down inside it’s drowning (although it’s alright when I found out I am transferring) because it’s time to adjust again. New coworkers, new manager, and a new store.
Transferring to St. Charbel would be my 6th store to date. And since I made myself ready for Bali many months ago, leaving the Reserve store is not as painful as it is right now because I will spend 1 full cut-off before I start to make myself comfortable with my new store. I needed some time, and I am dead serious when I say I needed to take care of my soul.
It was dreadful, you know. The past months. Like goddamn serious, if you want to know the truth. So I went to bed one night wishing for a new environment because staying is not very productive at all. It felt like there was literally no growth. Yes, thank you for reading this. Seems like the lesson from Paulo Coehlo’s “The Alchemist” is true after all. That when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Maybe the stars has been always watching me as I walk down the main road going home, every late night after a closing shift. Maybe they’ve done their part in saving me before I even ask for it. And that is what I love about living, you wake up every damn day to good surprises.
It’s hard to leave, but it’s harder for those who left behind.
On my last day at Reserve, it rained real hard. I was thinking of the people whom I probably won’t see anymore: my regular customers. I never get to say goodbye! They will proceed with their everyday lives and will be unaware that they’re not seeing me anymore.
Sad.
And it’s really thoughtful to see friends who went to see me and actually waited until the end of my shift. We went to our favorite after-work destination for some damn cold beers maybe for the last time (at least for me) and that’s when I realized, no more cold brew malt when I get sad, no more nitro cold brew when I needed an instant caffeine fix. No more getting instant crush in between shift and the thing that I will totally miss the most is no more spending the whole 10-hour shift with these baristas. It was really great! But maybe I already did my purpose there and it’s time to move forward.
So right now, even there is a faint of heart, I am smiling because it’s properly the right timing. A boy could only be so not passionate, right.
See you at the window!
Marron
PS shoutout to Jan Karrol Dizon and Bianca Ngangabu Angeles for forcing me to put a write up about their names! Haha, I will soon write about you if you collab with me.
(Thank you Zen for the time! For the socks as well. Emman, for driving me and for giving me advice about Bali. Reign, bakeks! Thanks for the Macadamia cookie and for the pack of cigar!
I won’t write everything here but so so so many people I’m gonna miss.
