“I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and l lived in Chang Mai for the first four years of my life. My Thai Mother didn’t know the father so I was adopted by my English Stepfather who relocated us to Australia when I was five.
We lived in the Southern Highlands, you know Bowral, Mittagong area. It’s a very coffee oriented area and it’s beautiful down there.
I had a pretty harsh time growing up. I had a rough mother and a rough father but I can’t really do anything about that so we just carry on. My mother was very physically and emotionally abusive unfortunately and Dad was a bit of a drunk but everyone has their own issues and problems they have to face.
I did have an older brother and sister but both have passed away so it’s just me now, me and my animals. My brother died of alcohol poisoning at 39 and my sister died of an overdose sadly. She was about the same age. I’m just trying to be better.
I moved to the Northern Rivers when I was about 21. I’m 26 now. I moved here with my dog who is a big Shepherd/Husky/Malamute and a great companion. I was a Beekeeper for a long time when I first moved up here but I had a car accident unfortunately in 2022 and that forced me back into being a Barista.
The great thing about that is I found a beautiful love for it and I found this town. The Southern Highlands was a very coffee oriented place as well but it didn’t have the community vibe Lismore has or the connection we have with each other here. Here people are happy to talk to strangers.
I started working at Benchtop Cafe then I transitioned to ESP in Alstonville and then Dark Horse Espresso. I’m currently working at Juno cafe and here which is Little Love Bros Nook. The more coffee you work with the better you get and the more people you meet. I love it here. Dylan is a great boss. It’s a great atmosphere to work in. Juno is fantastic as well because it was a new cafe so I got to experience building a new cafe from the ground up and getting to know our customers really well.
Making coffee down South was different. It was more like, your coffees ready, whereas here it’s a connection with your customers. You know their names and how they have it. You get to have a chat. It’s not just the coffee that makes the experience, a hi or hello and a smile makes all the difference. It’s been really nice here in Lismore.
I relocated to Lismore during the floods actually. I had a car accident a week before the floods leaving me with hairline fractures in my neck, spine and shoulders so I was pretty incapacitated for a while.
Luckily I met a really beautiful friend who became my partner and she housed me during that time. I just fell in love with the charm of Lismore. I have my partner and my dog. We also have a cat. I went through a pretty rough time before I moved up here but the animals really did help me, just that unconditional love and the companionship they give. Sometimes simplicity is the best way to go.
I think the big thing for me is, there’s only so long you can linger in the bitterness before you decide to get better. It’s like that saying, you can’t change cards you’ve been dealt but the thing is, you play a different game, you put the cards down and get a new set of cards. The past isn’t always going to be the termination of the future. There has to be a form of surrender of course, to get better. Everyone wants better for themselves.”
Little Love Bros Coffee Nook at www.tacolovebros.com.au