Wine, of course, is my favorite beverage, and when the occasion is inappropriate for alcoholic content, I typically stick with water.  I do have one soft spot though, and that is rich, bold coffee.

I blame coffee shops.

In [...]]]> Sometimes, life goes beyond food.  It needs to be supplemented in liquid form, with a drink on the side.

Wine, of course, is my favorite beverage, and when the occasion is inappropriate for alcoholic content, I typically stick with water.  I do have one soft spot though, and that is rich, bold coffee.

I blame coffee shops.

In college, I used to spend hours at a time inside them.  Three quarters of the binder of notes for my oral thesis were filled in the corner of Starbucks.  Except for freshman year, I never wrote a single paper in my dorm room, preferring instead to utilize the complimentary wifi at Think Coffee.

No matter where I’ve gone in the world, I’ve always found my café corner.  Take Prague, for instance: there, my spot was Meduza, a smoky literary den, filled with mismatched everything and wine as cheap as a mug of black coffee.  

With school behind me, I still find it easy to fill a coffee shop afternoon.  I’m happy to sit with a book, a friend, a laptop, a blank page.  I love seeing the people come and go, and I love forgetting where I am, even with the noise around me.

Last week, for instance, Katie and I chatted over an afternoon mug in the dimly lit Irving Farm.  It always feels cozy inside those café walls; the tables are rickety and the air circulation not ideal, but they have Fage for sale and wifi for free.  If a coveted table can be snagged, it’s an ideal writing location.

Back when I first frequented corner tables, I’d spend my cash on syrupy drinks and sweet treats.  These days, I’ve become a purist: my coffee is black and my food is nutritious.  My pennies might be pinched, but the experience no less pleasant.

I like to hold onto traditions, and this one fits easily into a healthy life.  Snacks can be brought, and tea can [occasionally] be chosen instead.  But the atmosphere, and the hours of thought: those always remain the same.

Are you a coffee shop dweller?  Where is your favorite?

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