Our Daily Lives by Kat Pham

Studying Alone in a Cafe During my first year in college, I became overwhelmed with the course load and my first part-time job. To make matters worse, it was my first day of class and I had already missed two weeks. My mom prefers to save money when we travel, so she booked more affordable plane tickets to Japan for the family during my first two weeks of class. Needless to say, this also added an extra amount of stress to my plate. While staring at the list of homework and projects growing on my planner, I realized I needed a change of environment in order to clear my mind and be productive. I quickly got into my car and drove to a local cafe nearby and brought my assignments. When entering the cafe, I was greeted by the barista and the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans. The cafe’s brown interior felt warm accompanied by the soft dim lighting. After placing my order, I found a small table by the window and arranged my new workspace for the next few hours. My new pens and highlighters were neatly arranged and a blank white page eagerly waiting to be written on, sat next to my laptop. The waiter called for me to bring my honey dew latte and then my setup was complete. My tools were arranged and I had a drink. It was time to start working. The soft murmurs in the cafe became white noise and soon, I was in my own world.

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