Picture this, the sun is shining you feel the warmth radiating through the window of your favorite coffee shop. You feel whole from the inside out. The Lumineers, Hootie And The Blowfish, and The Beatles are on loop. The shop decorated with paintings, tapestries, and records. It smells of coffee beans and sugar. This is my happy place.
It is a simple place, not the typical answer of the beach or travel. But for me that is it. No matter the location, if there is a cute little coffee shop to read and write in, I am insanely happy. No matter the day I have been having.
I am fortunate enough to live on a campus where I have multiple happy places. I have tried every single coffee shop on Main,and they all have something to offer. However, my favorite cup of coffee and scene is a tiny hole in the wall place; Brewed Awakenings.
Do not get me wrong, all others are fantastic for special drinks and food. But a classic black and bitter cup of coffee, with just a splash of almond milk, well thats best from Brewed Awakenings.
The best seat in the house is near the window. It is not the hottest of commodities on campus, but that is part of what makes it so special. I sit by the window allowing for the light to shine in, I get to peak out and see all the commotion of students yet the calm in the shop.
They serve you with the cutest of mugs, all different and unique in their own way. It's quiet but not too quiet to the point where you can hear a pin drop or your mind racing. It is just right. You hear the muffles of the machines and soft coffee house playlist through the speakers.
It sounds cliche, however, no matter the day I have had when I get out of the house and just sit in a shop my day is instantly better. And here is why. It is an escape. I can sit at ease writing, enjoying my very own company.
Life gets hectic and when things get difficult we have the urge to run. If I could hop on a plane to Italy right now and avoid the majority of my responsibilities, believe me I would! Unfortunately that happy place of mine, will have to wait. But a coffee shop, is everywhere and for that I am grateful.
No one should settle for bad coffee and negativity. I want everyday to be filled with my favorite fuel, beautiful sunshine, and loving people. And everything from the Brewed Awakenings window; appears that way.
Some may say that is remaining naive, I say its the "happy place". I have always said when I am older, grayer, and more settled into life; I will open my own coffee shop. A place with live music, an ambiance that creates a safe space, coffee that is strong, and a place where people can escape just like I do.
Perhaps one day "The Happy Place" will be the name of my shop. All yellow decor, open windows with warmth beaming through, and smiling faces filling the sea of stained couch cushions. And a happy place will no longer be a feeling but a physical entity.
