For Danielle Glasky, a barista at Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge in Atlanta, coffee is about much more than just a caffeine fix.

Glasky is so into coffee that she spent the last six weeks in Fukuoka, Japan, just to learn more about coffee bean roasting.

While there, she lived with the Izaki family, who owns a roasting shop. The shop buys specialty beans from all over the world and roasts them in-house. While she learned about the roasting process, Danielle taught the family about making cappuccino and helped the family's son train for a barista competition.

Barista competitions aren't new territory for Glasky, who placed third in the Southeast Regional Barista Competition last fall. The competition lasts 15 minutes, during which baristas have to prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature beverages for seven judges.

In May, she and another Octane barista (who placed second in the regional) will travel to Minneapolis to compete in the Specialty Coffee Association of America's U.S. Barista Championship.

Glasky, who graduated from Georgia State University last semester with a psychology degree, said she enjoys studying different cultures, which is part of what led her to visit Japan. But that's just another reason she loves coffee —- it makes her feel more connected to other people throughout the world.

"I was really interested in bringing cultures together. I kind of got jaded by the academic system and wanted to find a more tangible outlet to speak with other cultures, and coffee really made that possible because we're not just buying beans from unknown companies."

Octane works with Counter Culture Coffee, a roaster based out of Durham, N.C., that works directly with farmers from around the world. "They're really keen on going to the sources, talking with the farmers and bringing that information back to us so that we feel really connected," Glasky said.

"For me and the other baristas here, it's not about just pressing buttons and making somebody their daily caffeine; it's bringing somebody's work from Rwanda or Papa New Guinea to the hands of someone in Atlanta. I love it."

Glasky has worked at Octane since September 2006. "Before then I worked at a couple other cafes, but they weren't really considered 'third wave' like Octane is."

"Third wave" is a movement that emphasizes using specialty coffee, educating customers about beverages, and refining barista skills.

To be a barista at Octane, employees have to go through training that involves a physical test of making different beverages, a written test to prove knowledge of the coffees as well as machines, and a mock barista competition.

Octane baristas are especially passionate about being at the top of their game. "When it's slow, we'll have latte art throwdowns," Glasky said. They take a dollar out of the tip jar and compete for who can make the best drawing in a latte.

"We do some crazy ones here. It's kind of like a seal of approval. If your milk is right and your espresso is right, then you're going to be able to make some good latte art," Glasky explains. "I like making tulips."