Waiving Val

 Hi, my name is Valentina. What is yours?

I remember the first time I tasted coffee. 

Back when I lived in Venezuela, my mom, Wendy, worked during the day, so I stayed after school with my grandma, Carmen. When my mom would come pick me up, both of them would drink their coffee exactly at 5pm. Wendy and Carmen would spend hours talking about everything: my ballet class, Carmen's new paintings, my dad. Wendy always talked about how Carmen was the mom she never had. I would always stare at them so fascinated with their long conversations and the drinks on their cups, which seemed to be the fuel to the gossip because as soon as they finished it, we would leave. In one of those long evening cafecitos, I asked them if I could have my own cup. They said yes. I was finally allowed to sit with the two women in the backyard and have my own black unknown substance! I do not think I genuinely liked it at first, but I pretended just to be part of the group. That's the first time I tasted coffee, but it was certainly not the last. It became a tradition at my house to have a cup of coffee after our breakfast. Mine was what we call a "teterito", which is milk with coffee and an unhealthy amount of sugar, but that is how I liked it.  I would purposefully forget to stir the sugar so by the end of it, I could eat the soaked sugar grounds with a spoon. 

The years passed and with them the unnecessary amount of milk I put in to bear the sour taste. Many things have changed. For one, Carmen's sit is empty, and Wendy is a couple hundred miles away; however, I am sure we are all drinking coffee at the same time.

As I got older, I hit that period when one questions everything. Naturally, I wanted to know more about coffee beyond what my taste buds knew. I started a job at a local coffee shop here in Gainesville where I learned about steaming milk, the types of roasts, and how to make the perfect shot. Ever since, my favorite hobby is to go to different local coffee shops and rate them not only by their drinks but also their overall ambient. I became the official Yelp for my friend group whenever they are in need of a study session. I want to expand my niche audience by documenting my findings and sharing with the rest of the world my passion for coffee and its culture. 

The state of the world is a weird one to peacefully sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee; however, I want to support local businesses during such hard times. I will mainly order for pickup and stay in those that have outdoor seating and allow for social distancing. Hopefully, this can help whoever reading to know which places to go in order to escape their four walls while also being safe. I believe the places implementing great guidelines deserve recognition and revenue for their efforts, and I am here give them a voice.  I am excited to embark on this overdue personal project of mine and connect with others. 

In the meantime, I will share my all time favorite drink. It is a signature drink  I call  "The Lavender Lady"; it is lavender, vanilla latte with soy milk, an extra shot of espresso a sprinkle of cinnamon. You can thank me later. I believe no one can make it like I do, but we can figure it out together.