As all past Coffee Masters have experienced, the beginning of the Program is the part dedicated to discovery: discovering a new city, a new life style and above all, friends.
As the weeks and months pass, without really knowing, this coffee adventure is indeed life changing. You may start this journey without realizing exactly what to expect and it is only towards the end of your adventure that you really understand what these months in this Program have actually given you.
This is what this week's post is about: the realization of what you will take back home with you at the end of this 5-month program. It is not something you can pack in your suitcase, but an experience that will remain with you for a life time.
Here are the words of Stephany Dávila from Guatemala of the Class of 2014. It was her post written in May 2014 entitled: The Swan Song…
For the fans of Led Zeppelin, sorry to disappoint you, but this time I’m referring to a metaphorical way to say “the game is almost over”.
The swan song is a phrase referring to a final gesture, effort, or performance. It is a proverb from Ancient Greece that started to spread centuries ago.
And this is exactly how I feel this week, “Week 19” out of 22; I feel like I’m facing the hardest part of this master’s program: the time to say goodbye.
Two days ago, I got really sick, but I felt amazing. Not because I like feeling bad, but because I felt the love of my friends (especial thanks to my roommate from Colombia, Angélica). I received a lot of nice messages asking if I needed anything, if they could do something for me, or if I felt better.
It is difficult to explain, but when you are away from home, God always blesses you with a family. After 19 weeks of being together, this is what I got, a really nice family that cares for its members as we are all away from home.
The weather, the long sunny days, the delicious gelato (ice cream) from Viale XX Settembre, everything seems brighter and tastier now…now that it is time to go home! “The grass is always greener on the other side”, they say, but at this moment, I am really happy to be on the “sunny side of the street”.
I look back to the moment when I first found out that I had been accepted into this master, and I feel so happy to realize that coming here was one of the best decisions of my life.
I used to think I knew a lot about coffee as I have been seriously writing about it since 2006, but we never stop learning. It is not just about the product; it is about understanding this noble crop, about caring for quality in each of the 113 steps that it takes to arrive to our beloved espresso, about understanding coffee production as a business, about sustainability, about a way to make a living but, more importantly, to make a life.
Beyond that, I must add that, it is also about the intercultural experience, about friendship, about sharing, about knowing each other, about problems, about solutions, about daily life and about family.
This swan song is not a sad song. It is joyful song that reminds me of the good things in life. It is not about saying goodbye, but to shout “arrivederci”. Thank you friends, professors, and staff of the master for all the experiences we have shared together.
Arrivederci!
As the weeks and months pass, without really knowing, this coffee adventure is indeed life changing. You may start this journey without realizing exactly what to expect and it is only towards the end of your adventure that you really understand what these months in this Program have actually given you.
This is what this week's post is about: the realization of what you will take back home with you at the end of this 5-month program. It is not something you can pack in your suitcase, but an experience that will remain with you for a life time.
Here are the words of Stephany Dávila from Guatemala of the Class of 2014. It was her post written in May 2014 entitled: The Swan Song…
For the fans of Led Zeppelin, sorry to disappoint you, but this time I’m referring to a metaphorical way to say “the game is almost over”.
The swan song is a phrase referring to a final gesture, effort, or performance. It is a proverb from Ancient Greece that started to spread centuries ago.
And this is exactly how I feel this week, “Week 19” out of 22; I feel like I’m facing the hardest part of this master’s program: the time to say goodbye.
Two days ago, I got really sick, but I felt amazing. Not because I like feeling bad, but because I felt the love of my friends (especial thanks to my roommate from Colombia, Angélica). I received a lot of nice messages asking if I needed anything, if they could do something for me, or if I felt better.
It is difficult to explain, but when you are away from home, God always blesses you with a family. After 19 weeks of being together, this is what I got, a really nice family that cares for its members as we are all away from home.
The weather, the long sunny days, the delicious gelato (ice cream) from Viale XX Settembre, everything seems brighter and tastier now…now that it is time to go home! “The grass is always greener on the other side”, they say, but at this moment, I am really happy to be on the “sunny side of the street”.
I look back to the moment when I first found out that I had been accepted into this master, and I feel so happy to realize that coming here was one of the best decisions of my life.
I used to think I knew a lot about coffee as I have been seriously writing about it since 2006, but we never stop learning. It is not just about the product; it is about understanding this noble crop, about caring for quality in each of the 113 steps that it takes to arrive to our beloved espresso, about understanding coffee production as a business, about sustainability, about a way to make a living but, more importantly, to make a life.
Beyond that, I must add that, it is also about the intercultural experience, about friendship, about sharing, about knowing each other, about problems, about solutions, about daily life and about family.
This swan song is not a sad song. It is joyful song that reminds me of the good things in life. It is not about saying goodbye, but to shout “arrivederci”. Thank you friends, professors, and staff of the master for all the experiences we have shared together.
Arrivederci!