Don't Hiss Me Off.

Lately, I've been receiving a lot of pressure about finding a job.

Whether that's external, or internal (probably mostly internal), I can't help but feel rebellious towards this expected step in life.

It's all part of the "plan". You graduate high school, you go to college, and then you find a job and voila. It's the traditional move up the ladder.

Well if you've learned anything by now, I'm not the traditional sort of gal.

Yes, I graduated high school and I went to college, but I sure as hell am not about to jump into a job for the sake of "having a job." And while I was not looking forward to this return home a few months ago, I now feel incredibly... rested.

My dad likes to call it "living the life of leisure", which of course there's some truth to (naps, naps, and more naps), but I prefer to look at this transition as an opportunity to take the time I need to figure out what I want to do next, without pressure.

Now I know I'm lucky to be able to live at home (for the time being) with supportive parents in regards to this break. And I know that not everyone can have the leisure of taking some time to figure things out.

What I'm getting at is that there shouldn't be this compulsion to do what the rest of society deems as the conventional way of life. Circumstances are different for everyone, I'm sure, but I'm a big believer in pursuing what makes your heart sing and if you have the opportunity to take a job immediately, or if you're like me and have the shot at taking that break for the sake of recouping, then do you!

Your life is your own.

And while I know it's not personal when people make snide comments about "moving out, finding that job that pays the rent, and being an adult", I nonetheless feel a little... hissed off at the expectation of living this way.

I'm young, and I love to be young. I'm free, and I love to be free. To live the life the way I want, to say and do whatever I please.

Lesley Gore sings it best.

I'm twenty-one years old and I have my whole book ahead of me. Taking a few months to decide what my next chapter will be won't do anything but make me more assured and confident going forward.

So the next time someone chides you for "living at home", or looks at you with that condescending look when you've returned to work at the local coffee shop, smile sweetly and don't let it hiss you off.

Back to the Grind.

I've bean hooked on it since the wee age of two.

Baby hands grasping for that Starbucks cup, my signature line of request: "Some! Some!"

And from that sip of tan mocha, I was mad about coffee.

So it would only seem fitting that I work in a coffee shop, right? Coffeeholic who feels that her days aren't complete without that heavenly cup of joe definitely belongs in a coffee shop.

So at fifteen, I was hired at Kaladi Brothers Coffee, an Alaskan based coffee roasting company. I've worked on and off for the company for the past six years now and every time I step behind bar, things just come rushing back to me.

How I am able to remember a regular's sixteen ounce quad shot white mocha breve with natural caramel and vanilla with whip is beyond me, but it's ingrained in me somehow!

It's been my third week back and boy am I pleased to be working again. I've never gone this long without working since I was first hired, and I never thought I would say it, but I enjoy working.

There's something about the relationships you form with customers and the sharing of stories over cups of lovely lattes. I don't even consider it "work" because I genuinely adore the creation of espresso beverages. 

Honestly, when I graduated, I never thought I would be back here, but circumstances changed and I'm happy to have a home that welcomes me back with open arms. 

I still don't know where I'll be in a couple of months, which is still rather exciting, as well as scary. 

In the beantime though, I'm back to the grind and sharing my passion for coffee with my fellow Alaskans.