Time to post again!
. . . don’t mind me while I get my super powers back 😉
October 1, 2019: Announcement
For nearly two years I have enjoyed writing Cups and Comments–it has given me so much: sharing my ideas, comments, and pictures as well as always having a built-in excuse for coffee and pastries is fabulous!
For almost a year, during this same time, I have been working part-time, working contract jobs, or not working, while I travel domestically and internationally. My time away from stable full-time work was rewarding and thrilling, and now coming to an end. I plan to get back to a permanent residence and permanent work, so I will be taking a month hiatus from writing in order to get settled once again.
Enjoy previous posts for now, new posts will be back starting November 6, 2019 🤗
A Cup Collection
In my last apartment, my last permanent residence, I had about 15-20 mugs. I had a few solid colors, a few designs, and a few with inscriptions–varying from funny to inspiring. I lived in a decent sized apartment, but I had started to look at the collection and wonder when I would have enough.
I don’t like clutter, I don’t want to take up too much space, and I want to be practical; I only drink out of one mug so really one could technically be enough, a reasonable person might say two or three to take into account that one may break or one may be in the dishwasher. Okay. I can live with 2-3 mugs.
At this point, far below an alarming number–in my opinion–I had already given credence to the idea that I had a collection, and that I may be on my way to, or already have, a sizable collection.
This was a year ago, before all my travels, before I sold or gave away most of my stuff, and put the rest in storage. This was before I reduced my collection in order to embark on a sort of gap year.
Nowadays, I actually miss my wall of hanging mugs, I miss the variety, I miss having options; at the same time, I know that giving them up and/or putting them away was best. Sometimes less is truly more. We can live with less.
Furthermore, after reading about Mesude Islkll, I realize that my 15-20 mugs was not that much. I’m not a collector. I had a reasonable amount of mugs for my love, my work, and my coffee.
Who’s Mesude Islkll? A woman who has collected 3,000+ coffee cups. She started 12 years ago, and they’re beautiful, some are even antiques. Each one holds a special memory for her. It is her passion and it shows.
I loved my mugs and it was hard to let go. I do love adding another mug to my collection–and look forward to building a new collection. However, I definitely don’t have the time, space, or money to amass a collection like Islkll. And maybe what I’ve learned and discovered is the sweet spot, somewhere between my original 15-20, and her 3,000+ sounds like a decent figure for a cup collection 😉😂
I just have to figure out how much is appropriate . . . 25? 50? What do you think?
While I drink . . .
While I drink my coffee–whether it is morning, noon, or night, I . . .
- daydream
- consider my day
- get ready for the day
- read
- get ready for the afternoon
- write
- get ready for the night
- watch tv
- listen to the radio
- walk
- clean
- cook
- work
- do nothing
- say nothing
- think of nothing
Sometimes it’s a cup meant for awakening. It’s a time to get rejuvenated or ready for something. Other times, it’s my downtime, a relaxing and warm experience. It’s not a single reason to drink, and therefore not a single experience.
As coffee has so many purposes and so much potential, it allows for much to accompany it.
. . . And what do you do while you drink?
Global Locations: Starbucks Reserve
- Milan, Italy
- New York City, USA
- Seattle, USA
- Shanghai, China
- Tokyo, Japan
- . . . in the works: Chicago, USA
Some time ago I wrote about the merits of the Starbucks Reserve in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. I received some feedback on the piece–mostly pertaining to other locations. As a result, I decided to look up other Reserves.
I knew that Reserves were rare, but I did not realize how rare these Reserve Roastery locations actually are–just 5 currently operating in the whole world!
Some people have to visit the 7 Wonders of the World, some people want to visit every baseball stadium in the USA, some people want to touch every continent. I support any and all travel goals. I support multiple travel goals–so I’m offering another one: visit every Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world, and if they add a few more, that’s just a few more places to explore and a few more cities to visit!
Who’s with me? Where to next? ✈️🧳
Hawaiian Life
Over the past year and a half writing Cups and Comments I have learned that it is best to sit down, write a bunch for the future, edit in another session, and then relax as your weeks worth of posts are delivered. I prepared for some time to work, and thought it would be easy to follow this pattern as I stayed in Hawaii.
Well, I have to admit, I must confess: Hawaiian living is just too good. I am thoroughly behind and distracted here, but with a view and atmosphere like this, can you blame me?
I’m doing my best to get back into my groove, but every time I sit down I just want to look up and soak it all in . . . writing, researching, pretty much anything other than sipping my coffee as I enjoy the sounds, smells, and sun here is really beyond my reach.
I promise, I will buckle down–eventually 😉
Hawaiian Prelude
I have been given the opportunity to stay in Hawaii for 5 weeks. I will be in Kona, tanning, hiking, enjoying the sounds and sights of island life–and of course scouting out some great coffee.
I have always enjoyed Hawaiian coffee and coffee shops, Kona coffee is among my favorites. I cannot wait to enjoy it, in its home. Wish me the best of luck–and get ready for some Hawaiian recommendations!
Best Coffee: World Edition
Now that I have a clear idea and understanding of the best cities in the US for coffee, let’s talk about the world.
First guesses:
- Somewhere in the Middle East?–Turkey?
- Somewhere in Europe–Italy? Austria?
- Somewhere in the Americas–USA? Costa Rica? Colombia?
- Somewhere in Africa–Ethiopia?
- Somewhere in Asia–Vietnam? Japan?
What did I miss? Australasia/Oceania. And this is where I completely missed the mark . . .
As I started the Australian leg of my travels, I was duly informed that Melbourne is considered to have some of the best coffee in the world. In fact, it has been ranked as having the best coffee in the world *repeatedly*.
From 2014 to the present, I have researched and found that Melbourne is where it’s at!
So, if you want a great trip, a great caffeinated trip, I suggest a trip down under!
Burger King Coffee
It’s not gourmet.
It’s not going to get approval from your friendly neighborhood coffee snob.
I doubt it will be on any coffee connoisseur’s list of top picks.
Nevertheless, I feel compelled to let you know that for $5 a month, you can get coffee, each and every day for a month–at Burger King.
While my stomach is churning as I write this post, I actually hate Burger King–ate there once in high school and then never again–I must let you know about this deal . . . you just let me know how it goes though 😉
Best Coffee: US Edition
When I told people that I was going to New Zealand and Australia, one city that kept coming up as a coffee recommendation was Melbourne; apparently, Melbourne is world famous on the coffee scene.
It got me thinking: Which cities were known for the best coffee in the US?
My first instinct and thoughts were:
- Seattle, Washington as its home to Starbucks
- San Francisco, California; New York City, New York; and Los Angeles, California as each of these cities are food powerhouses so they’re probably coffee powerhouses. Also, a simple Google search for great coffee shops often led me to these places, or their surrounding areas.
According to WalletHub, I wasn’t too far off. Top 3, according to their metrics, were:
- New York, New York
- Seattle, Washington
- San Francisco, California
Check out their article for the full Top 10, maybe this list can become a US Travel guide for my next adventure! 😉
Cups and Comments 