My Coffee & Tea tour - from China, over Laos, Thailand to now Vietnam

I felt stuck in Salamanca, Spain, as I couldn't find a location for a coffee shop and things were generally moving very slowly. So, to learn more and meet other coffee lovers, I decided to visit coffee regions. I started in Kunming, China, and it was amazing! I went to the main coffee street every day to try the local coffee beans and to get in touch with farms and producers.

The kindness I encountered everywhere was completely new to me. People weren't just interested in my money or the fact that I was a tourist — I really felt that I mattered to the people I met. One new friend travelled to Pu'er to meet me and introduced me to the Chinese government representative for the coffee industry. Another coffee shop owner gave me the contact details of a farm that shares my values.

I visited coffee and tea factories and farms, and I was shown kindness by strangers in the magical Jingmai Tea Mountains. At the night market, for example, I asked a random group of girls for a translation. She asked me what I liked, ordered for me, and told me afterwards that she had already paid — 'Welcome to China,' she said. It was just incredible. This small experience is not related to coffee, but it shows how important small gestures can be. Ultimately, I don't want to separate work and life. I will also share personal experiences on my blog to give you an insight into my life. Have you had similar experiences somewhere in the world? I look forward to hearing from you.

More to come! :)