I’ll be real honest: I had a tough week. It’s bound to happen every once in a while I know but still, erg. With me it’s almost like a double whammy because I am, while feeling down, also concurrently disappointed in myself for feeling down. I can’t just relax into it and allow … instead I have to overanalyze and be hard on myself. It’s a vicious cycle.
That said there were very intense moments of brightness this week. You see, I counted nine times this week where I got all dreamy, crushing and starry-eyed over a hot beverage. Yes, I am talking about a hot drink here! In fact there could have been more such occasions but it was nine that I counted when I knew I was going to tell you about them. So, let’s just say nine.
I would be in a regularly dull moment of the week and then poof, I would think about a hot mug of something I was about to have or remember one from the morning and I would feel right as rain for a bit. Sounds a little funny, right?
I believe in the power of small moments and drinking hot tea and coffee or warm cider or milk are really big small moments in my life. With coffee comes the fluttering anticipation of the day and the chance to wake up. With tea comes the comfort of after-dinner chatting or mid-afternoon calming. With warm milk, or in my case warm soy or rice milk sweetened with honey, comes a chance to have a bit of relaxation.
Of course I didn’t have my camera with me most of this week to document my various hot drinks but instead I want to show you two from this weekend (and some snaps from the surroundings in which I had them). And I must remind you that I am still writing my dispatches from Brooklyn, New York. What a special place to find hot drinks! And, to that end, what a special week because the small arts publishing house of which I am one-half originator has just put out a new book called Brooklyn Diary. This is one great book for those who love Brooklyn and even those who don’t know it at all. I am a part of the EAT section where I photographed a few of my favorite spots. I’ll let you see those in the book. For now to stick with our themes, here are two places I did not feature in the book but where I like the hot drinks very much.
Blue Bottle … best coffee ever, it arrives hot, the space is wide open and the baristas are quite nice.
Bakeri … charming interior, cutest backyard, nice food and, although I hate to blast, the staff is actually not super friendly.
Here’s to hot drinks saving an otherwise sluggish week. I am grateful.