Coffee 101
My STEP project was taking coffee classes in San Rafael, CA. During these classes I learned about sensory analyses and how to differentiate notes and smells, how to pull quality espresso shots and pour latte art, and the basic science of coffee roasting and I got to apply all of these in the class.
Prior to the project I knew quite a bit about coffee and knew I enjoyed it, however attending these classes changed my view. Not that I learned much more than what I knew but to learn about just how in depth you can go with so many different hobbies. I met someone who worked for an extra virgin olive oil store and would sample them with customers and they can differentiate flavors between the different kinds of olive oil. It completely opened my eyes to the fact that something as simple as coffee, or olive oil, or wine, or whatever hobby you want to insert, could have so much depth and complexity to it. That it’s not just surface level, there’s much more beyond that, and that’s exactly how people are.
One of the best if not the best part of my trip was the people. My instructor and classmates were incredible. If it wasn’t for these people I would have very much thought my trip was mediocre. As soon as I walked in I was greeted with a warm hello from one of the students who was at the class the day before I got there and that was quickly followed up by a welcoming greeting from the instructor. Immediately I knew I was in the right place, not because of the coffee equipment, because of the people. They were so incredibly kind. When we broke b]for lunch the first day I was just going to walk to town which was only a 10 minute walk, but then one of my classmates, Dave, invited me to get lunch with the others and offered me a ride so I didn’t have to walk. Later when the class for that day was over and I started walking to my Airbnb, again just a 10 minute walk, a girl from my class, Valéria, offered me a ride back. One evening a classmate who was staying in the same Airbnb invited me to go to the beach to watch the sunset one evening, something I didn’t think I would get to do, because she knew I didn’t have a car and wanted to help and make the most of my trip. The sunset was incredible. These people’s kindness helped me to realize that there is so much more to people than just the surface.
While I was bumping shoulders with all these kind people in the class and outside of, I got to know so much about them. I heard about their families, past, why they were taking the class and so much more. I was amazed at how well you can get to know someone when you’re intentional with your questions and you just take the time. I could have said no to every one of the offers and shoved my face in my phone but instead I put the phone down and just focused on them. Because I did that I was able to network with different people, some who are already in the coffee industry. One actually offered me an internship at his company. I can say with confidence after my 3 short days in California I made some incredible friends. Again this helped me to learn that there is so much more to people than you realize if you just take the time to invest in a conversation.
Finally the coffee. Again it wasn’t so much the coffee, it was the realization I had when I was taking notes that people pay good money to come sit in a class to learn about coffee for several days on end. The fact that there is so much to coffee that even when you break it up into different sections you still can’t cover everything in 8 hours is incredible. Most people when they think of coffee they just think of the coffee pot in the morning. But there are so many moving parts and people that it took to get that coffee in your pot in the morning that aren’t even thought of. I’m not shaming anyone by this, it’s more of an encouragement. If something as “simple” as coffee can have so much hidden under the surface and so much labor involved in getting you that product, think about something as simple as the clothes you’re wearing or the food you eat, and just think, if coffee can have so many layers to it then how much more does this sandwich. A farmer works hard to grow the wheat for that sandwich which gets sent off and turned into flour by more people, which is baked by more people, which is packaged by more people, shipped by more people, and sold by more people. That is just one part of that sandwich. This aspect of coffee taught me to be so much more grateful for each individual thing I have and to think about the manpower it took to get me this product.
These things I learned are all fundamental things and a part of our daily lives.You have interactions with people all the time throughout the day, you use things that took man power to create all the time. For me the way these apply to my life are simple, moving forward I’m going to put down the phone. The phone can be an easy excuse or cheap exit from a conversation. By putting down the phone I’m investing into that interaction that I’m having, whether it’s listening to a professor’s lecture, a classmate who appears to be struggling, or even a classmate on the first day of class looking to make a friend. By doing this I’m able to actually look beyond the surface and really get to know people. The other aspect is gratitude, to take a quick moment and reflect. By doing this I’m able to be truly grateful for the fact that I’m able to attend an awesome institution with incredible instructors or maybe it’s as simple as being grateful for my cup of coffee. The simple fact is that gratitude and anxiety cannot coexist. Your brain cannot respond to both at the same time. So even despite circumstances, despite trials, I can choose to be grateful and that will have a positive outcome not only for me but for those around me.