I open my eyes at 4:40 a.m. I need to wake up earlier than other people because I’m a barista at a coffee shop. 

When I’m on my way to work, I think about the bus driver: He needs to wake up even earlier than me. Every morning from the bus window, I see the same woman running in all weather, which means that she wakes up at this time every day. Thoughts about these people keep me awake when I want to sleep so badly.

Sometimes I imagine that I’m an actress and I play a barista in a movie about a coffee shop. I just need to be a real barista for a while to play my role perfectly. This little game also helps me to get up in the morning. Before the first customers show up, I need to prepare the coffee machine, weigh beans, put fresh pastries on the counter, turn on the music, and have my first coffee of the morning. Working at a coffee shop gives you some bonuses, like free drinks. But, to be honest, because of this bonus, I now prefer drinking something without caffeine. 

I’ve been working at this coffee shop for a year, and I already know almost all the people who live nearby. There is Jacky; she likes a large latte with oat milk. The following drink will be for Judy; she likes a flat white with one shot and a little bit of honey. Glen always drinks his cappuccino with whole milk and one extra shot. I don’t need to ask them about their drinks, just one question: “The usual?” 

That is my favorite part of this job. I make people happy and help make their day a little bit better. Actually, I’m used to working so early. Back in Russia, I woke up every morning at 5:00 a.m. because I worked in radio and TV. When you work in TV, you need to wake up earlier than other people to tell them what happened while they were sleeping. They can listen to you while they’re in their cars or in the kitchen cooking breakfast. 

I spent ten years of my life working as a broadcaster, a TV anchor, and a journalist. I tried a lot of different roles in this field because you learn something new every day. It definitely helps me here in the United States because I don’t need much time to understand how to do something new. I’m now thirty-one. I study English and learn how to make latte art. Life taught me the most crucial thing: You don’t have to give up, and you have to be open to the world and new things. 

Yes, your life can change. I don’t know what will happen next or where I will eventually find my place on this planet, but I know that every morning when I hear my alarm, it means something. Judy, Jacky, and Glen wake up thinking about me and my perfect morning coffee. And that is one more thing that makes me smile: You never know who is making your coffee.