ABOUT THE OWNER OF RAIN BREW COFFEE HOUSE
Hi, I’m Jessa, and I’m a chronically ill 19 year old business owner. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of owning my own coffee shop. Growing up, my family traveled all across America and even to different countries, and no matter where we were, one thing we always loved doin together was finding a small local coffee shop to try. I fell in love with the feeling of them, the warmth, the atmosphere, the people, and how every shop carried a different piece of the owner’s heart. I loved seeing everyone’s unique spin on what coffee looked like to them. Some places felt soft and cozy, some were loud and creative, some felt peaceful and welcoming, but every one of them told a story. Somewhere along the way, I realized I wanted to create a place like that too. A place where people could feel seen, safe, and cared for.
What I didn’t know then was how hard the journey to get here would actually be.
Living with chronic illness at 19 has changed every part of my life. Most days my body feels like it’s fighting against me from the moment I wake up. Some moments where my hands cramp so bad it hurts to hold cups or write things down. Moments where the pain spreads through my entire body and exhaustion settles so deep it feels impossible to move. I deal with passing out spells, heart pain, dizziness, weakness, and moments where even standing too long becomes difficult. There’s even moments where end up laying on the floor curled up rollin in intense stomach pain, trying to catch my breath while wondering how I’m supposed to keep going. There are nights I barely sleep because the pain won’t let me rest, but the next day I still get up and show up anyway.
Behind every coffee I make, every drink I create, every menu idea, every event, and every small detail people see, there are countless unseen moments of pushing through pain just to keep this dream alive. There have been moments where I’ve questioned if my body could handle this dream, moments where fear tried to convince me to stop, slow down, or give up completely. But somehow, even on my hardest days, this dream keeps calling me back.
Because this coffee shop is more than coffee to me.
What I didn’t know then was how hard the journey to get here would actually be.
Living with chronic illness at 19 has changed every part of my life. Most days my body feels like it’s fighting against me from the moment I wake up. Some moments where my hands cramp so bad it hurts to hold cups or write things down. Moments where the pain spreads through my entire body and exhaustion settles so deep it feels impossible to move. I deal with passing out spells, heart pain, dizziness, weakness, and moments where even standing too long becomes difficult. There’s even moments where end up laying on the floor curled up rollin in intense stomach pain, trying to catch my breath while wondering how I’m supposed to keep going. There are nights I barely sleep because the pain won’t let me rest, but the next day I still get up and show up anyway.
Behind every coffee I make, every drink I create, every menu idea, every event, and every small detail people see, there are countless unseen moments of pushing through pain just to keep this dream alive. There have been moments where I’ve questioned if my body could handle this dream, moments where fear tried to convince me to stop, slow down, or give up completely. But somehow, even on my hardest days, this dream keeps calling me back.
Because this coffee shop is more than coffee to me.