College kids love coffee shops these days. I’m sitting in one right now as I write this. They’ve become popular spots to hang out, to do homework, to go on dates, to go to alone. When traveling, going to a cool new coffee shop in the town is becoming more and more desirable. But why?

There’s something about the hustle and bustle that is calming to the soul. A coffee shop in a college town is almost never not busy. Going to one is both exciting and calming at the same time. The vibe is good for my state of mind when I am stressed.

Coffee shops are good to go to with friends for a study break. You get to have a delicious drink, maybe a fun pastry or muffin, and you get to have a light conversation in perfectly-crafted mood lighting. Coffee shops are not like the library where it is poor etiquette to speak above a whisper, so you don’t have to be afraid of running down a list of conversation topics while sipping your latte.

However, my favorite is going to coffee shops either alone or with one really close friend. There is something magical about sitting in silence at a coffeehouse. Because you’re not really sitting in silence. There is activity all around, and, even if I’m not involved in it directly, I like being around activity. Background noise is comforting. People watching is a restful break from your normal routine.

Sitting still while the world still continues to turn around me is therapeutic for me. It helps me from getting too inside my head. No matter what I’m thinking about or processing through, I am surrounded by people in a way that is not draining. I don’t know most of these people, I’m not interacting with them, but they are near me. They are going through their own stuff. They are living lives in the same place that I am living mine for the moments, sitting at aesthetically pleasing tables scattered around the café.

It allows me to be alone without being lonely. It allows me to be in my own world without getting lost in it. It’s a marvelous contradiction that doesn’t often exist in today’s society! Between the buzz of conversations and a hot coffee in hand, it gives the atmosphere a special kind of warmth. I think college today is really stressful for students. It can sometimes be lonely and can feel distant. But coffee shops are always warm and inviting.

Maybe that’s why they’re becoming so popular in today’s college culture. In a society that is increasingly demanding fast-paced living, coffee shops offer the opportunity to slow down. In fact, coffee shops encourage slowing down. They enable productivity in a way that feels comforting and inviting. They’re a hub of happy vibes and encouraging times.

Don’t believe me? Go check one out for yourself! Allow yourself to sit there and be a part of your surroundings.