Barista, Trail Runner and the “Now”
It’s about the journey, not about the destination. No matter what you’re working for, take a few moments to appreciate the present. You’ve traveled a long way to get here. That’s worth celebrating.¹
It’s often said amongst friends that “Basecamp (Trail Provision & Cafe) is not a place, it’s the people”. Pioneering the coffee and trail running scene with us since 2018, and always with a smile, let’s get to know Basecamp’s Barista Bass Narathip Chanwang a little more.
What do you like most about coffee?
I think that coffee is like a world of its own. A world that is compatible with all cultures, all sports, daily life and is involved and weaved into all aspects of life.
What is your favorite coffee drink?
Black coffee. I personally feel that black coffee is best able to express the quality and character of the coffee.
Can you tell us a little about how you got into trail running?
By becoming a Basecamp staff (laugh). I used to be a football player before I started running and I suppose I’m lucky that I had the physical foundations for running. Basecamp introduced me to trail running, which I honestly had never heard of before, and I think it’s a great sport. Since then I’ve become addicted and don’t see a way out. I’m hooked! I’ve now been running for about 4 years.
What is it about trail races that you like most and do you have a favourite race?
That moment when I feel that I can run to the best of my abilities. That moment when I take the lead. Even though it may sound a little competitive, I feel really good when I know that all my training and dedication has worked as planned and is paying off. My favorite race was the 70km distance Pang Yaeng Trail 2020 which I won 2nd place, as I felt I trained and performed exceptionally well.
If you could time travel, when and where would you go?
I’d like to travel 50 years into the future to see if humans can still survive on this planet, as I personally think that us humans aren’t taking very good care of this world, and I’d like to see what state we are in (then). It might be better or worse. I’d just really like to see for myself.
What is your favorite book?
“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. Reading this book had a profound impact on me. I used to be attached to everything, be it my past, present or future. It made me more conscious of the present and realize that this very second, this “now” is the best thing that we have. This shift of mindset has made me grateful for every moment in life.
Not a question, but an open mic for anything you’d like to say or express to friends, family or the community.
Basecamp has given me more than an introduction to trail running. What I like most is that I’ve learned to pay attention to the details and consciously care for the environment. I never really put much thought into the negative impacts we have on this earth, but after joining Basecamp and becoming a trail runner, people like Harry, Cake and some of the customers that (try to as much as possible) limit their use of single-use plastics sparked my own (green) consciousness. I came to realize that I’d been living a life from “my perspective” only and forgot to consider that of mother nature’s, in which we are dependent on. This led me to dig deeper on how to live a more eco-friendly life.
¹ Metaphor source unknown
