Dear Local Coffee Shop,

You always knew how to help me trust my adventurous spirit. You place yourself so idyllically into small towns and big cities to bring a new story at every single stop. I have started to measure life not by the seconds I've lived, but by the coffees I've sipped.

So, thank you. Thank you for making me feel loved and alive within your walls. For allowing me to be anything I want to be. You have removed all judgement from the world with just a counter and an espresso machine. I admire your ability to be nothing less of an invitation of genuine personality. Oh, how you attract so many different bodies through your doors. You are the reason I have life today.

You have been my refuge, the place I go to when I need a minute to journal or step into another person's life other than my own. The quirkiness scattered across your walls is beyond anything I will ever love. You have silently held me up on your chairs when I couldn't hold myself and have provided me energy to keep my eyes open after a tiring week. You have been the one to bring me to new places but never fail to take me back home. I love that you have made me become a world traveler in my hometown. You excite me and spark a spontaneity to journey with you around the world. Thank you.

You have brought me back to my lifelong friends as we catch up on our endless drama and laugh about our stupid summer memories. You introduced me to new friends; those who were standing a little too close to me in line. It brought the kind of awkward push waste minutes and say hello as I eagerly waited for my latte. Those introductions were the best; unplanned and honest. Sometimes they ran off, sometimes they didn't. But even if I didn't see the stranger again, I always knew how to find you. Thank you for always reminding me that the four corners making up your shop house love and friendship for eternity.

So, as I pursue your presence in every city I venture into, I want to thank you for never failing to be around. You have nourished my heart and have fed my excitement to be alive.