On Missing Coffee Shops

I have not been writing as much lately.

Prior to the pandemic, a typical Saturday morning consisted of rising early, driving to my favorite local coffee establishment, purchasing an espresso tonic ¹ (with a glass of soda water) and spending the first hour and a half of my day writing.

Being at a coffee shop is about balance. A seat facing the window. Enough people present to feel that I am in the company of others. But, not so many that I feel crowded. Ambient music and sounds that block out distractions. But, not loud enough to be a distraction on their own. The aroma of coffee. The kindness of the staff.

The entire shop is like a warm blanket on a cold day. An envelopment of comfort. Balance.

The pandemic has thrown the coffee shop out of balance. It has thrown our lives out of balance. So here I am, on a Saturday morning, writing from my living room with my homemade cold brew ². It is good. I am grateful. But, it is not the same.

I want to become a better writer and I know that requires daily practice. So coffee shop, or not, I intend for this to be my space to reflect, create, and share on a regular basis. However, I look forward to our balance returning and the day when I am practicing my writing from the familiar bench at my favorite coffee shop.

¹ An espresso tonic is a double-shot of espresso poured over an iced glass of homemade, flavored tonic. It is a bubbly, caffeinated, magical elixir. See Peixoto Coffee.

² I am a cold coffee drinker — year round. I blame Arizona and 150 degree summers for this. Although I have not been visiting my coffee shop in person, I still remain well supplied with beans from Peixoto Coffee and I am a member of the Provision “Coffee of the Month” Club.