I do the same thing every morning; wake up, get dressed and go to this local coffee shop downtown next to my job. I go there for the feeling of community you get within the coffee shop. The baristas know my order at this point. I got a drink called the “milky way,” with an extra espresso shot and a croissant. What they do not know is my reason behind this order, I went to Europe years ago and going to the local cafés for a quick breakfast was a life-changing experience.

     This morning was no different than the previous mornings of recent memory. I walked in and the barista, Leah, knew my order immediately. She acknowledged my arrival and took my payment as usual. The smell of brewing coffee filled the air as I searched for a good seat to enjoy my coffee. I sat at a window seat because of my enjoyment of people watching. I was going through a mental list of what I would be doing at work today. Doing this helped me to prioritize what would need to be done when I walked into the office.

    As I sat in my window seat, on a cold metal stool, I looked out the window and observed what was going on. You heard the honking of the car horns of those who may be running late and are stuck behind those who are in no rush at all. You also heard the beeping of the crosswalk signals, it was a never-ending beeping sound because once one way was told to stop, the other started. You heard voices as groups of people talked as they proceeded to work. The sounds, smells, and feelings kept me grounded