The smell of fresh brewed coffee permeates the air as I open the door of a little red cottage and leave the lavender and garden behind me in pursuit of my favorite brew. The baristas smile at me as I once again look at the menu of specialty drinks taped to the counter top, and I try to pick something I haven't tried before. The soft music fills the air, and I look on the chalk board to see if there is a new quote of the day posted. The Coffee Cottage has become my third place these days as I transition from summer to school mode. And I am grateful, because I have learned so much from these people, this place, and the times I have spent at the coffee cottage.
It started on the week before my first year at University. I was enchanted by the place because it roasts its own beans, is a small town coffee house, and had the warm feel of home, complete with a wonderful menu that contains gluten free options. I would find myself coming to the Coffee Cottage when I needed a place to be that wasn't school or home, had some homework to do that I didn't want to be interrupted while completing, or just needed to take a break from life. This was the place that I met my best friend at University at, and the place where I reconnected with old friends in. It has become a second home for me.
So now, I shouldn't be surprised when I find it is a place I am learning wisdom from too. One of my dearest friends from high school got me started going to music at Coffee Cottage on Friday nights. I was too afraid to go to the shows by myself. Luke went with me a couple of times, and now I am hooked. I love to go listen to the local artists, even if I am the only one there. Something about the simplicity of the music always brings me back to focus. As I listen, I write or draw and am reminded of days gone by when the world was my playground and life was not so hard. The cares of the day seem to melt away as beauty and peace are restored to me. I am learning the wisdom of taking time out and just being present in the moment.
Another thing I am learning from all of this time spent drinking coffee is that there is wisdom to be found behind the counter as well. The baristas at the cottage have done so much to cheer my soul and teach me that life is not as narrow as I make it out to be. I met one who had worked his way around the states and completed his college degree. When he found out I was a non-traditional student, he told me, "You are not alone." Those four words have set the tone for this year for me. I am looking around and instead of seeing how so many people are different from me, I am starting to see how we're the same. Another always smiles at me and makes me laugh. Today, when I went into the Cottage on my break at work with a co-worker to caffeinate the kitchen where we are employed (we bought seven drinks total), one of the baristas told me she works doubles every weekend and is excited to go back to school soon. She asked if I thought she was crazy, and I just laughed and said I knew how it was. Because I do. We do what we have to do right now to get by. Somehow, this little place that I call my living room has done more to let me know that I am in the same boat as so many others than anything else in this town.
Finally, sitting down with friends over a cup of coffee (or tea, or a smoothie) has helped me to connect with what I am learning both in and out of the classroom. I conducted my first interview for a class last spring with my friend, Ogie. He told me how in management, you have to make your team your family. I conducted my most recent interview for another management course with Jessica. She talked about what had led her to become a leader on campus. And then, there is running into old friends at music, like Friday night, when I saw my dear friend Laura for the first time in a month and got to sit and talk with her and just be a silly girl. Maybe what builds community is not so much what is said, but the feeling of good that is given when each one of us shares something genuine and unique, our own essence, what no one else has to give.
The Coffee Cottage to me is a place that I can let my hair down and experience life. I don't have to be or do or behave a certain way. It is the closest thing I have to my own here. I don't know why I feel this way about it. I do have my own (insert item here) after all. But something about the place feels like home to me. Maybe it is the fact that people gather just to share, to believe in the power of connection, and to live life together. The coffee is amazing, don't get me wrong. I am at the point of brewing it every morning as my morning wake up call. But the place, the place is truly a gift to the community of Newberg. It's a gift I don't take for granted and am thankful for every time I step through the doors and smell the coffee.
