Hitting pause: An ode to coffee and a plea to smell the roses

I don't think that there's a single part of my life that isn't influenced by coffee: it's what gets me out of the bed at the start of some very early mornings (and pays majority of my bills), the elixir for catching up with friends or unwinding with a good book, and way to experience the world through some of most vivid senses.

Coffee represents a friendly face that helps orient you in a new town and the subtle pep talk that reminds us that you can handle anything the world is going to throw your way. Even if it's just me brewing my morning cup at home, there's an immense respect for all the work that brought me a few minutes of solace from farms around the world to a roastery to my coffee machine.

As anyone who's been to Scandinavia can attest, coffee is a cultural experience. The fika tradition of enjoying a cup of coffee with a pastry is one that I've attempted to bring with me to daily life. I'm realizing that it's important to take moments to pause, whether it's a work break with a short doomscroll to a slow Saturday morning with a good book. That act works wonders in a hyperactive world that never seems to slow down.

While you could get the same drink when you grab and go, the rejuvenating magic of a coffee break comes from savoring: truly tasting the notes that sing beyond the surface of every cup and connecting with a friend, barista, or total stranger. It worries me that we're losing that sense of chance encounters or natural pause when we optimize for efficiency at every turn. From the instantaneous Starbucks mobile order to the rise of drive-thru chains like Dutch Bros or Seven Brew, we're losing our connection to the chain of events that had to go perfectly to make that cup.

Not that there's anything wrong with a chain necessarily (I mean I work for one), but it's hard to feel connected to a place when you can walk to a Starbucks in anytown, USA and it looks indistinguishable from your usual store minus the barista that knows your name. There is something to be said for the consistency of knowing that your order will more or less be the same wherever you go, but like an onion you have to dig deeper to get to the heart of a community.

It's the local shop that'll begin to feel like home and host your book club where you potentially meet your partner. It's a respite from a world that seems to be drawing further apart by the day. It's the pause in a busy day where you can just exist and be inspired by the world around you.

If I'm being honest, that's the vibe I'm looking to cultivate in general this year from my coffee routine to my media one. I want to dig deeper and create some friction between me and the things. I want to let intention lead the way rather than convenience or efficiency, even if it means that I show up less. After all, good things are worth waiting for.