My misadventure with coffee was being 18 in Amsterdam. I went in thinking it was for coffee and boy was I wrong.

I was an exchange student in Germany for a year and the coffee houses (konditorei) were where everyone went after school. I learned a lot about Germany and Germans there. It was the way to socialize there.

I read your blog and always enjoy it, but have never commented before. This post hit somewhat home as my girlfriend and her husband have just taken over a coffee shop in north Minneapolis and she is able to discern the coffee flavors as well as you can! It all tastes relatively the same to me, although I do enjoy coffee. I know you have start-up experience, but if you ever want to talk to a 27 year old that runs a coffee shop I’d be happy to get you in contact with her to chat about the ins and outs of her shop. It’s her first business and she’s a coffee addict as well!

Thank you for your continued interesting posts!

I've always loved the idea of tea time, too. Been to Europe twice, but never to England. I'm convinced I would fall in love with it. Not the food though… nasty.

@adam: Every day is coffee day! No, you're right, absolutely. Coffee does allow me to be present and that's what I was trying to get across.

Oh oh, I love Ethiopian, but Yergacheffe is my favorite. I'm a big fan of the velvety Italian roasts too. You're my coffee soul mate – nothing can be wrong in the world when so much is right inside the cup.

I think you make a few interesting points Holly. It seems like what you’re saying is that coffee really helps you to be present. I know not everyone likes that term, but I tend to ignore the terminology and look at the meaning behind it.

You say that when you enjoy a cup of coffee, all your senses are heightened. I totally agree. The taste of coffee, picking out the different flavour notes (I’m a big fan of Ethiopian Harrar coffee; blueberry and chocolate aromas . . . mmmmm . . . ), it brings you to what you’re doing at the moment. When you’re trying to decipher that hint of spice, you can’t be thinking about what you have to do later. It draws you to the now, and allows you to savour more than just the flavour.

Man, this makes me want a coffee now . . .

You know what’s a little odd for me? I usually can only drink .5 cups of coffee per day…that’s right, any more and I start to feel kinda shitty and my stomach gives me grief. It’s a rare day when I drink an entire cup of regular coffee, and I NEVER drink two in a day. I’ve never met another lightweight coffee drinker like me who likes it so much.

I’m also a big tea fan. I lived in England for a year and I totally loved tea time. We need that tradition over here.

@honey: ::sigh:: Sadly, the BF hates coffee too. I can wrangle him into some tea when I drag him through a coffee house though. I love a good cup of tea also. I tend to go that way after lunch, when I need a pick-me-up without sending my heart rate through the roof!

@angela: Coffee stories could never bore me! When I went away to college in Winter Park, FL it was Stardust. One half was an indie/arthouse film rental, the other half coffee house. I loved when my friends’ bands would play.

@steve errey: I can’t write in my apt. I find it impossible. I love the whole “being alone together” thing I have going on at a cafe. Good music + good coffee?? Solid gold!