There are three elements for me to have a successful day of writing. To be clear, I must first explain myself.
I'm a coffee shop person, this is known about me. I love tea more than coffee; however, I love having some coffee with my writing. This is more of a "must" than an "option". There's just something about a warm white mocha going down my throat that just brings new and refreshing ideas to my mind. After a few sips I'm ready to write.
To be perfectly honest, I haven't had a good cup of coffee in a while. Similarly, I haven't been writing like I used to write. These two facts are closely linked together; when I drink a good cup of coffee (or tea) I write...and visa verse. These are the first two elements for success: Coffee and an active mind.
The third element is crucial. This sets the tone. It sets my mood; my attitude. It goes hand in hand with the first two elements and brings me joy and delight. It is the foundation for a concentrated woman like myself: It is the coffee shop.
For the past year and nine months I have been in complete and utter agony over this particular element as I have not been able to find a coffee shop. While some people like Starbucks, and it is quite true that tasty cups of coffee and lattes are served within their doors, they are not what I like to call an ideal place to write. I am more of an independently owned coffee shop person; that is, I prefer those unique places where someone had the idea that low lighting, creative design, wild and organic coffee beans, pastries of the home-baked kind, and a unique name was the way to go. These are the small business types of places and people I like to invest my money and time. If I'm going to write, give me an environment that I can appreciate and feel comfortable. If I'm going to drink coffee, give me something my taste buds will enjoy and understand I will not be able to get anywhere else. If I'm going spend almost $5.00 on a drink that will be drunk within ten minutes, let it go towards someone who had a dream to serve others and at the same time be themselves. This is my place of happiness. This is where I can be successful as a writer. Why? Because I'm in an environment that I love and can appreciate.
Now that I have indulged in my "one great weakness" I have hopefully put you in a place of understanding my current situation. I said I haven't been able to find a good coffee shop and this is true. When I first arrived in the D.C. area I began my search for happiness. While I started my search I had the feeling I was going to find a gem...there just had to be a coffee shop that would suit my writing needs. I searched for hours I came up with nothing. I stopped searching and came back to it a few days later. After no luck I came back a few days later and searched some more. I searched and searched for hours and days. Finally, I found one coffee shop that was 20 minutes away. I was so desperate that I went ahead and took the trek over to find it. I found it, tried it, and it was okay. It was more of a family shop with areas for children and games. It wasn't ideal but it worked. At the time I was looking for a job so I couldn't focus on my writing as much as i did towards resumes and usajobs.com. A few months later and I found myself moving from the area and into the heart of D.C. This began a new chapter in my coffee shop love.
While in D.C. I discovered a most wonderful coffee shop that just happened to be owned by the church I started attending every week. Ebenezer's Coffeehouse was the perfect place for me. While being in an internship and having the coffee shop a mere three blocks away from me I believed I was in heaven. Church, coffee, writing, a job. Thank you Jesus for bringing me favor and blessings. Heaven, it was. After nine months of living in bliss I had a new job (a permanent one, I might add) and a new place to call home. I was happy for everything except one thing: I was leaving Ebz.
Living in Vienna has many advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that I can work hard for nine hours a day in the city and then escape to a more quite and serene place for home. Others advantages are that the town of Vienna is a small place with many quaint shops and eateries, I have a fascinating park to workout and enjoy the local little league games, and the metro is right across the street. The disadvantages are that I don't have a car and it is not within walking distance from my home. There is one other disadvantage that caps it all: I haven't found a coffee shop.
That is I hadn't found a coffee shop until today. In my long hours and months of searching for a place to write I found nothing. Today, I made another attempt and notice a place I hadn't seen before in all the maps I had searched. There it was, peering through the screen...a name I hadn't seen. I looked into more and almost didn't believe what I was seeing. I called to confirm they were open and was assured they were. I packed up my things, got in the car, and headed towards my destiny (yes, destiny).
This was soon interrupted when I got in my rental car, started driving, and saw the hazard lights were going off unexpectedly. Why God? Why? First, I'm delayed in seeing if my instincts about the coffee shop are correct, and second, this is a rental car so I can't have anything happen to it! I pulled over to find out what was wrong and searched frantically for the button to turn of the hazard lights. I found nothing! I panicked! My hands went up and down the dashboard, making their way to the top of the steering wheel, around to the bottom, pushing buttons, turning knobs, feeling anywhere there was a possible space for a button. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw two men talking in front of their house. Swallowing my pride I opened the door and smiled as the two men looked my way, obviously seeing my dilemma. It was pretty obvious since they could see the hazard lights on from the outside. Oh Jesus, help me not look like a fool! After I explained my situation one of them got in the car and looked for the button. To his surprise he couldn't find it either! After sitting for 20 minutes we both gave up. He made two suggestions: call 411 and get in touch with a body shop that works with the make of the car and/or go drive down the main street and look for a place that's open to look at the car.
I left and went around the corner, pulled over, and looked over the car manual. No luck. I called 411 and got in touch with a guy at a body shop. He couldn't help either. I then mustered the courage to drive down the main street with the hazard lights on, making me look stupid. Thank Jesus! A Jiffylube was a couple of blocks down the street. I pulled in and a Jiffylube worker was right there. The lady came over, I explained my frantic situation, she open the car door, looked inside, and turned them off! When I asked what she did she pointed to the hazard light button that was in between the front air vents by the cd player. There is was in front of me and I didn't see it! Something so obviously in front of me yet I was too panicked to see it! Hmm...there's a story to write in that! The one fun thing was that after two men had tried to help me it was the woman who had the solution. That made me smile. I got in the car, tried to turn it on and it wouldn't work. Oh boy. Not again. After a minute I realized...the car was on the whole time. Jesus, if I have ever felt more stupid please remind me because nothing has ever made me feel this dumb.
I finally made it to Caffe Amouri. Yes, it's independently owned. It's got unique coffee. It's got it's own design (not my particular taste, but I'm not complaining!). It meets all three elements. I'm at home. I'm ready to write; and I know just what I'll write about.
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