I would like to think that my introduction into adulthood has been graceful and pretty, but in reality, it has been more like a huge face-plant in front of a group of strangers. I was living twelve hours from home, working two jobs and living off of Aldi hummus, cliff bars and smoothies. As a resident advisor, I spent time with residents that were hurting and struggling with life. I heard their stories and sat with them while they processed and expressed their emotions. I was struggling, hurting and processing as well.
My haven from my overactive mind and life was the Barefoots Joe coffeehouse. The minute I walked through the door and smelled the coffee, my brain switched into barista mode. It was a beautiful and needed break. I worked alongside dedicated, gracious, hospitable and patient people, who loved the art and craft of coffee. We bonded over weird drink orders, unique customer encounters and music. I usually worked the 10-11 p.m. shift, and our main demographic was summer camp kids. The music we played was a source of energy during an hour of smoothie and blended latte mayhem.
Madde Ely was my barista fairy godmother. She had a way of gracefully fixing my mistakes and modeling how to do the task or prepare the drink better next time. She was calm under pressure, and it rubbed off on me. One night, before the rush of camp kids came in, Madde turned on the music. I was immediately hooked to what I heard, the melancholy yet upbeat voice of Maggie Rogers. From that point on, I listened to Maggie Rogers on a loop.
Her lyrics resided in my heart and deeply touched me. She put words to how I was feeling. In her song, “Light On,” she touches on her battle with anxiety even though she seemingly had it all. However, the song overall has a victorious tone. I struggled with anxiety and depression over the summer in new and real ways, so this song was refreshing and uplifting.
Maggie Rogers, the Jonas Brothers, Ed Sheeran and many others made up the soundtrack to my summer. Enjoy a taste of my summer, and remember to tip your baristas.