Coffee Shops

Its no secret that coffee shops are places students always frequent. I’ve always thought that  its the vibes they give off, not too quiet, not too noisy but the perfect amount of white noise in the background. Sounds of coffee grinding permeate the air, small talk ensues between the cashier and customer and the creaking sounds of the door open and close. I’ve loved coffee shops for its ambience it gives off. You can chill with a cup of chai, catch up on homework and even readings over coffee or have short catch up sessions with friends in between classes. The coffee shop embodies warmth, especially with the coming winter.

I was very disappointed when Michigan Union closed down for renovation because I was really fond of the Starbucks there. The bar stool seating is my favorite, tucked away perfectly near the coffee machines, private and public all the same. I usually camp out there for two hours, writing or reading. Bumped into a lot of friends while we both get coffee. One even commented, saying that she always finds me there. Another personal favorite coffee shop of mine is Comet Coffee, hidden in the nook of Nickel’s Arcade. It looks very hipster and a passerby might think that the drinks are expensive but that isn’t true. The food and drinks here are surprisingly reasonable given that it is in Ann Arbor. Its affordable in comparison to Starbucks. I find myself coming back here so many times, alone and with company. I suppose everything about the shop attracts me, from the affordable tea/coffee and the interior design, with the barstool seating overlooking Nickel’s Arcade. You can sit there, sip tea and people-watch or do work. Maybe even ponder upon your place in life. Engage in some meta-thinking.

Another reason I really like coffee shops is because of the memories I’ve had there with people. I gone to the Michigan Union Starbucks frequently with a good friend of mine after class. We each grab coffee and get into small talks. Some of the times, those chats turn into deeper discussions, from how tough Michigan is on students to the double standards we face as women in the family. Other times are when I brought family friends to Comet Coffee and we each ordered different drinks so we could try different drinks together, great times I’ve missed now. There are moments when I was stressed out and needed advice, so I met up with a friend and told him my frustrations. I left the coffee shop feeling lighter, finally understanding that sometimes I needed to leave some situations be just as they are, so it sorts itself out.

Funny how a small tiny shop contains so many memories, and that it can mean so much.