THE TIRED CYCLIST IN THE RAIN
My name is Ethan. I’m 24, American, and I’ve been living in Amsterdam for four months. I came here for a photography internship that fell through. Now I’m running low on savings, living in a tiny room, and spending most days wandering the city with my camera, hoping something will change.
It was a cold, rainy afternoon in late October. The streets were covered in wet red and golden leaves. While walking along the canal near Jordaan, I saw her — a young Dutch woman, maybe 26 or 27, pedaling slowly through the rain. Her bicycle was loaded with heavy grocery bags and coffee supplies. She looked exhausted, her shoulders slumped, rain dripping down her face.
I ran up beside her.
“Hey! You look like you could use some help.”
She stopped, surprised. Her blonde hair was soaked under her hood.
“I’m fine… really,” she said in perfect but tired English.
“You’re not fine. Let me take some of those bags.”
I grabbed the heaviest ones and walked beside her, pushing part of the load on her bike. We talked as we went. Her name was Lotte. She told me she’d been working nonstop opening new cafés. The rain got heavier, but we kept walking until we reached her apartment above one of her shops.
When we arrived, she looked at me with genuine gratitude.
“You didn’t have to do that. Most people just cycle past. Thank you, Ethan.”
I smiled, waved goodbye, and walked home completely soaked — but feeling lighter than I had in weeks.
One week later, I received a message:
Hi Ethan, it’s Lotte from the rainy day. Can you come by the café on Prinsengracht tomorrow morning? I’d like to thank you properly.
The next morning I walked into Lotte’s Brew — a beautiful, cozy little coffee shop with warm wooden interiors and the smell of fresh coffee and pastries.
Lotte greeted me with a bright smile.
“You helped me when I was completely drained. I’ve been thinking… I actually own three small cafés in Amsterdam. We’ve been looking for someone reliable and kind to join the team.”
She offered me the position right there:
- Part-time Barista & Café Assistant (25 hours per week)
- Salary: €2,150 per month
- Free accommodation in the nice studio apartment right above this café
- Free meals and coffee during shifts
- Training in latte art and coffee brewing
Lotte smiled warmly.
“You carried my bags through the rain without expecting anything. I want someone like you on my team.”
From an unemployed American walking alone in the pouring Amsterdam rain…
…to living above a beautiful café, working as a barista in one of the most charming cities in Europe, with a kind boss who truly values people.
The End.
