Espresso Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
I kind of love the countdown stress.
I move and travel a lot, so the feeling of "I'm-not-gonna-be-here-much-longer" is nothing new to me, and I've come to kind of enjoy it. A few months ago, when there was no end in sight to me leaving Maryland, I was like, "Uuuuugh, fuck this boring-ass town." Now though that I know I'm going to be gone soon, the whole place is just that much more endearing. The frigid temperatures, the quiet atmosphere, the hippie kids with their heads in the clouds... It's nice to have things you're not used to for a while (just not permanently!). I'm going to miss sitting at the fogged window bench at City Dock, chatting up nearly every regular that comes in with Melody playing her guitar there next to me as we chill out for the whole evening. It's like being in an episode of Friends (though I can't say I ever got into the show) and I didn't realize it until now, but these days are going to become very dear memories to me, and fond stories that I'll tell the others back in Vegas or Cali. "When I was on the east coast..."
How many coffees have I spilled on myself, laughing so hard I fall off a stool, or how many curious heads crowded around a single laptop to Wikipedia some point in an argument that another person was trying to make?
How many times have I yelled, "Tall mocha, no whip!" over the bar and how many times have I ordered tall mochas with no whip over that bar?
How many barista inside jokes have I come to understand or friendships have I cemented with regulars in this period of time?
How many pairs of pants will I catch and rip on that damn metal canister holder by the sink or how many coffee stains will permanently make their home on my clothing?
One day the piles of my laundry will no longer smell constantly of freshly ground dark, medium, and decaf, how will I cope with that?
How many mice have run past me in the kitchen and made me shriek, how many bagels have I accidentally burned, how many times I have put 2% in someone's cafe au lait when they specifically badgered us for skim?
How many tries did it take me before my latte art resembled something other than a 'ghost' or a 'cloud' or a 'sheep' (oh my excuses are cleverrrr) and how many times did people explain the simple procedure to me?
How many people have personally thanked me for making a delicious cappucino and inversely how many people have asked my why the fuck I took so long or why theirs tastes funny? (Assfaces.)
How many cute indie dudes or adorable little hippie boys did I ogle and how many of them winked and threw in an extra tip because I was 'perky' or 'cute?'
At what point did I become able to tell a decaf shot or caffinated shot of espresso just by watching the crema, when did I see the difference between milks, when did dark, medium, decaf, and all their respective blends become not just 'coffee' to me?
I want to keep writing, jot down a million things that I never want to forget that I've learned here, just in this warm little place. This icy little area with a lot of heart. Maybe I will write more, when I'm not so tired I want to fall over. Besides, let's not waste the nostalgia, eh? I haven't even left yet. <3
Live to love,
Vanessa