It makes me realize how busy we are in our industry, so many events and business trips to cram into just one year. From travelling abroad to find coffee, go to the WBC or the SCAA, then throw in there the regional barista competitions and you still have not got it all covered.

I hold Minneapolis in a very special place in my heart, as it was the start of something special for me and my coffee career.

Today upon arriving at my hotel and answering emails, staring out an adjacent building I sent out a tweet that read. Something like this;

” Ah Minneapolis, not much has changed since 2008…”

Now at face value, and that is the only way it can be taken, it reads like I either think that the place is a shit hole and or I am not happy to be here. Which could not be further from the truth. In my head I was thinking about the hotel room and the ride here from the airport, I was just not thoughtful enough to convey that in my tweet.

So I apologize.

Getting back to what I stated above, this city was really, the start of a huge turn in my coffee career. I had started working for Intelligentsia only months before coming here with the Barista team and Kyle Glanville. Helping the team get Kyle through to the WBC was huge for us, the enthusiastic bunch.

So, I will say that I am truly excited to be here again and I can’t wait to explore the food and coffee scene, over the next two days. Last time I was here we celebrated Kyle’s win at possibly one of the best steak houses I have ever been too! For the life of me I just can’t remember the name of it though.

Now for this.

Archive is here but be carful some of the content is NSFW. 

I have the least amount of followers on Tumblr but it gives me the most amount of enjoyment.

I wonder if everyone holds as much value in goal setting as I do. Without them I would not have traveled, started a band, become a Barista, Barista Trainer and a coffee Roaster. I have always set short and long term goals for myself, yes sometimes I don’t achieve them (I am not a famous musician) but for the most part I do, eventually.

So upon returning to Nicaragua, after the gruelling days leading up to the trip trying to organise Toby’s Estate Coffee and after the flight. I was sitting in the back of a taxi headed to Granada when it hit me. I am finally back here doing what I have wanted to be doing for so long! I had been working on this goal for so many years that I almost forgot about it. Sure I took one or two wrong turns that delayed me (6 years instead of 5) along the way but I had made it.

I had returned to Nicaragua as a green coffee buyer, a moment I hope I don’t forget for a long time.

Cheers!

A beer to celebrate my return to Nicaragua as a coffee buyer.
Finca San Jose
Nicaragua 2012

Now to set another long term goal.

I won’t go into to much detail but Toby’s Estate Coffee, Australia, took a camera along and got some great shots and talked to some great people!

Happy Xmas in July?