Upon returning home from my job today, I decided to head to a coffee shop 15 minutes from my apartment. A colder than normal day, I had on my thickest/warmest jacket – something along the lines of East Coast blizzard attire, but it was the perfect outer layer for this unusually cold, chilly day. Something about wind blowing into you, with your face grimacing and facing downwards, and briskly walking along a busy street is just classic city life in my mind.
The coffee shop I chose is a quaint one, located in an alley not too far nor close to any major pedestrian pathway. It acts as a bookstore and coffeeshop that serves some of the cheapest/affordable food you can find in this city. But what really stands out is that its run by a nonprofit that uses the cafe as a proxy to enable those that have hit rock bottom to get back onto their feet.
This evening was to be a “feel good” alone time couple hours and a “feel good” story definitely added bonus points.
During my magazine reading, two men besides me were discussing personal finance. I couldn’t figure out if the man in the suit was trying to court the young guy’s financial handling or what exactly was going on but it was definitely exciting to let my mind wander into the realm of “Is this young guy a successful start up whiz and just earned a ton of $$?” to “This young guy is networking with the older professional and wants to display his business accumen and impress him.” I wasn’t sure, but I was having fun. #eavesdroppingFTW
==
On my stroll back, I passed by a Michelin 2 star restaurant with a window lending some insight into their kitchen. I stood there for a few minutes, watching the masterful work of cooks and chefs slicing and plating artistic food. I’ve always taken a keen interest in the kitchen world so that 5 minutes was like a child staring into FAO Schwarz store window … two weeks before Christmas.
This evening of experiences that happened all within 15 minutes of my home(breezy city weather, nonprofit run cafes, professional conversations, and world class restaurants) packaged itself into a single thought in my mind ….
“I love this city.”