The Sprinkles of Life

THE SPRINKLES OF LIFE BY SOPHIA MADORE

There will always be one coffee shop that reminds me of the endless possibilities of adventure: Dunkin’ Donuts.

Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t just a place to go for coffee and donuts. For me, it is a trip down memory lane. Dunkin’ has been the filling of jelly happiness to my family’s hearts for many years.

I am from Minnesota and all my extended family lives in either Ohio or Maine. Because of this, my childhood was filled with many long road trips—some being 12 hours and others 36. Packed in a car with my three younger siblings and a dog, pit-stops for donut holes and cold brew gave structure to what felt like an endless car ride. When I was younger, we did not have Dunkin’ Donuts close to us. This all changed when they opened up a Dunkin’ 15 minutes from my hometown over quarantine. My family was so excited!

I am proud to say that my dad and younger siblings were the first customers to step foot in this new Dunkin’ Donuts. After some research, my dad discovered what he thought would be the opening day. He and my younger siblings excitedly walked into the store to find out that the shop was not open to the public yet. It was employee training day—yikes. With defeated heads and sluggish feet, they left the bakery without purchasing a thing.

Imagine walking into Dunkin’ and not eating a freshly glazed donut... Double yikes.

Love overcomes all--even the embarrassment of walking into a restaurant on employee training day. Despite this awkward first date with Dunkin’, it served my family little moments of joy during our quarantine.

Jamming to Ice Ice Baby while sipping our iced vanilla lattes--this was one of my sister and I’s quarantine hobbies. We love Dunkin’, but my little brother has the app downloaded. Therefore, his love for donuts and coffee goes beyond ours and we had to plan a crazy adventure. My little brother and I planned a bike ride through the backroads to Dunkin’. Twenty cows, seven miles and three donuts later (each), we convinced my dad to pick us up in the Dunkin’ parking lot.

“LIKE LITTLE SPRINKLES ON A DONUT, DUNKIN’ HAS EMBELLISHED MANY OF MY LIFE’S TRIPS.”

Like little sprinkles on a donut, Dunkin’ has embellished many of my life’s trips. The trips that I have gone on--whether big or small--have been filled with the simple joy of my family stopping at Dunkin’. Trips are made up of so many little moments--it takes courage to embrace the simplicity of these joys on the many crazy adventures life brings us on.

SARA PRATT, KARIBA, ZIMBABWE

JENNIFER FOSHEY, TANZANIA