Miris svježe prženih zrna kave širio se kroz zrak dok je sunce milovalo velike staklene prozore male pržionice u Zagrebu.

The smell of freshly roasted coffee beans filled the air as the sun caressed the large glass windows of the small roastery in Zagreb.

Ivana je stajala na ulazu, očiju razrogačenih od iznenađenja i pomalo nervoznog osmijeha.

Ivana stood at the entrance, eyes wide with surprise and a somewhat nervous smile.

Sve je počelo sasvim nevino.

It all started quite innocently.

Našla se ovdje zbog pozivnice koju je pogrešno razumjela, uvjerena da je riječ o zabavnom druženju s prijateljima iz kafića.

She found herself here because of an invitation she misunderstood, convinced it was a fun gathering with friends from the café.

Umjesto toga, našla se usred lokalnog natjecanja za bariste.

Instead, she found herself in the middle of a local barista competition.

„Ivana!

"Ivana!

Drago mi je što si ovdje,“ Luka, organizator natjecanja, pozdravio ju je s velikim osmijehom.

I'm glad you're here," Luka, the organizer of the competition, greeted her with a big smile.

Ivanino srce je preskočilo.

Ivana's heart skipped a beat.

Kako će sada priznati da ne zna razlikovati capuccino od caffe latte?

How was she supposed to admit now that she couldn't tell the difference between a cappuccino and a café latte?

Marko, njezin prijatelj i strastveni poznavatelj kave, stajao je malo dalje, zaintrigiran i nestrpljiv da vidi kakve će se vještine pokazati.

Marko, her friend and a passionate coffee enthusiast, stood a little further away, intrigued and eager to see what skills would be showcased.

„Hej Ivana, nisi mi rekla da se natječeš!

"Hey Ivana, you didn't tell me you were competing!"

“ uskliknuo je s iskrom u očima.

he exclaimed with a spark in his eyes.

Ivana je promrmljala nešto o tome kako želi isprobati nešto novo.

Ivana mumbled something about wanting to try something new.

„Bit će sjajno!

"It'll be great!"

“ Luka je rekao, blago poguravši Ivanu prema uređajima.

Luka said, gently nudging Ivana toward the equipment.

Tako se našla ispred sjajnog aparata za espresso, priborom koji je izgledao kao da je iz budućnosti.

And so, she found herself in front of a shiny espresso machine, with tools that looked like they were from the future.

Dok je natjecanje započelo, Ivana je odlučila slijediti stari životni savjet: „Pretvaraj se dok ne uspiješ.

As the competition began, Ivana decided to follow an old piece of life advice: "Fake it until you make it."

“ Nježno je dotaknula aparat i nasmiješila se svima, kao da zna što radi.

She gently touched the machine and smiled at everyone as if she knew what she was doing.

Ali, u trenutku kad je namjestila parnu mlaznicu, začula se glasna tutnjava, i odjednom je svugdje bilo mlijeko i pjena, kao da je samoborski fašnik stigao u rujnu.

But the moment she adjusted the steam wand, there was a loud rumble, and suddenly there was milk and foam everywhere, as if Samobor's carnival had arrived in September.

Smijeh je ispunio prostoriju, a Ivana, s pjenom na nosu i smiješkom punim samoprjekora, podigla je ruke u znak predaje.

Laughter filled the room, and Ivana, with foam on her nose and a smile full of self-reproach, raised her hands in surrender.

Marko i Luka žestoko su pljeskali, a Marko je ponudio: „Što kažeš, da te naučim praviti pravi cappuccino nakon svega ovoga?

Marko and Luka applauded enthusiastically, and Marko offered, "What do you say, I teach you how to make a real cappuccino after all this?"

“Ivana je prihvatila ponudu s osmijehom.

Ivana accepted the offer with a smile.

U tom trenutku, shvatila je da je u redu pogriješiti i da se čak i put do katastrofe može pretvoriti u nezaboravnu priču, ako je dovoljno hrabar da se smiješ zajedno s drugima.

In that moment, she realized that it was okay to make mistakes and that even a road to disaster could turn into an unforgettable story if you were brave enough to laugh along with others.

I tako je, u toplini male pržionice, naučila ne samo umjetnost kave već i dragocjenu životnu lekciju o tome koliko je važno pokušavati nove stvari, čak i kada se plašiš neuspjeha.

And so, in the warmth of the small roastery, she learned not only the art of coffee but also a valuable life lesson about the importance of trying new things, even when you're afraid of failure.

Kraj dana došao je s prijateljskim čavrljanjem i mirisom svježe skuhane kave – osjećajem pripadnosti i veze.

The end of the day came with friendly chatter and the scent of freshly brewed coffee—a feeling of belonging and connection.

Ivana se osjećala ponosnom i više nego spremnom na novu avanturu.

Ivana felt proud and more than ready for a new adventure.

I tko zna, možda jednog dana postane prava baristica, zahvaljujući svojem prvom kafićem ispunjenom pjenom i smijehom.

And who knows, maybe one day she'll become a true barista, thanks to her first café filled with foam and laughter.