My name is Fabian, I am Colombian and for more than 6 years I left my country. I have always had the opportunity to live and work in Australia and Canada in the restaurant industry, especially as a barista.
I am currently living in Adelaide, Australia doing Hospitality Management studies and waiting to work behind an espresso coffee maker (something I plan to do until a day before I die).
Having entered into routine life and what they call “the rat race” was something that made me reconsider my life. Monotony and lack of purpose were the common denominators in my day.
The days passed and although my face did not show it (we all know what the marketing and advertising industry is like), I felt a horrible emptiness inside that was not filled with any of these possessions. I believe that since we were kids we have heard lies that have made us believe that happiness and success translate into money and power. The permanent emptiness I felt showed me that all that was not true.
I want to make it very clear that this was never my parents’ fault. I was raised in a wonderful and balanced family, with excesses of support and their mistakes like all, but unconditional love and respect for others were always the pillars. But… “My education was perfect until I entered school.”
The barista and the travels
I am a coffee lover and as I told you, I have experience in the restaurant industry. When doing an investigation of the highest paid jobs in the Australian restaurant sector, I realized that the baristas had a salary above all.
That and my addiction to caffeine, made me train in Colombia and take my bags with a clear objective: I go to Australia to work as a barista. I did not know that Australia is one of the best countries in the preparation of espresso coffee.
The weather and the “cold” people made my stay a little less friendly. The winter, which lasts almost 8 months, was something that didn’t help much to the lifestyle that I brought in Australia. I missed going for a run, enjoying the weather, the beach, the friendly attitude of the people and the high standards of coffee.
“The only way to have a good cup of coffee was to make it myself and I could only prepare it in the cafe where I worked, going out for a cup of coffee was an odyssey. That reason is not important but it must to mentioned 😅”
Happiness
I guarantee that the worst thing that can happen is that you stumble upon happiness. Looking at a mirror, without a penny in your pocket, but with a smile that does not fit in your soul. Doing what you like and enjoy it anywhere in the world, makes this “trip” worthwhile.
Of all this I just wrote, I want to rescue two things. First, life is just one and should not be wasted doing something you do not love and second, when you are not happy there are only two options, stay in the situation and live a miserable life complaining or leaving that comfort zone and throw yourself into the unknown hoping to find “the promised land.” As you already realized, I did the latter and I am HAPPY.
If you are a barista, enjoy what you do because according to what I have heard, the only thing better than being a barista is being a dad. And if you are not, but also you are not happy with what you do, here we are waiting for you; this family is always open arms for one more member.
About the Author
Fabián González 
Barista
If you have any questions or I can help you with something, please do not hesitate to send me a message on Instagram, my username is @cafeinapapi. It is the social network where I am active every day and I think it will be easier for you to find me there; otherwise, it is working on some caffeine dose.
You can also find me on YouTube by my name, Fabián González. I created a channel in which I am trying to make videos about my life as often as possible, sometimes every day, sometimes 2 or 3 times a week.
I hope to hear from you someday and, if possible, let us sit down to have a cup of coffee so you can tell me how you became a barista after leaving everything behind.
