Stopping to Smell the Roses + A Crack Press from Bread & Pickle
WARNING: This is a rather indulgent post, having relatively little to do with food, but something I needed to get out. Proceed with caution.
As I've mentioned before, my husband and I recently moved back to Minneapolis after living in Madison, Wisconsin for the past ten-ish years. It's exciting. It's nerve-wrecking. It's transitional. It's crazy. It's awesome.
A lot of people were probably surprised when we decided to move without jobs. Heck, I was kind of suprised myself, considering how risk-averse we both tend to be in regard to such matters. That said, I suppose we can both be cocky sons-of-bee-stings, so I guess that creates a nice balance of "the fear" (Friends reference) and the confidence that you need while job searching.
During this time of semi-"funemployment" (I say semi because we both had small appointments we were working remotely; and also, it's fun but there's always something else you should be doing, lurking in the back of your mind), I had extra time to start this blog (yay!), explore the city during the week when everyone is at work, and also do a lot of yoga. Not too shabby, really.
One of those things lurking in the background for me has been a licensing exam I needed to take to be able to work in certain settings, and thus, opening up the job market that much more. I did some studying for the exam, but I'm not the type to hunker down and study for weeks. So the other day, after completing a lengthy practice exam, I decided it was time to get outside and get some fresh air, clear my mind.
I decided to take a stroll around Lake Harriet, stopping to get coffee at Bread & Pickle mid-stroll and also take a little detour to Clancey's (which deserves and will receive its own post in due time) to pick up a Thai pork sausage for our dinner that evening. It was a beautiful, cool morning, perfect for a long walk. Reveling in just how beautiful it was, my mind escaped away from everything I needed to get done and shifted to how lucky I feel that I'm here.
I have moved across the country multiple times in my life. While each move has had its challenges and excitement, in some ways it is easy to gloss over all those details and take such a life event for granted when our society has become so increasingly mobile. Moving and starting a new life in a new city requires a lot of resources and risks—financial, physical, emotional, etc. That said, I feel grateful to have had enough resources and been able to take these risks. It has made me realize that plenty of people in the world would not have the privilege or ability to take such risks. While it can be scary, I feel lucky to have been able to languish in that fear, knowing that it will all turn out just fine.
Keeping your mind in the present, rather than the future or past, can be difficult, especially in a time of transition. This walk inspired me to smell the roses, literally and figuratively, as I wandered through the Lyndale Rose Garden adjacent to the lake, bringing about fleeting mindfulness that I so desparately needed. Since writing this post, I came across an interesting article from The New Yorker: "Why Walking Helps Us Think"
What I probably didn't need in my serene moments of mindfulness was a jolt of caffeine, sending my mind racing again, but it was so delicious and totally worth it! I didn't have the highest of hopes for the bandshell's coffee but figured I'd give it a whirl, especially since they had "cold press" on their menu instead of "iced coffee". I tend to assume it's been made properly when this distinction has been made and it won't be hot coffee watered down with ice. Well, my assumption was correct and the Crack Press was everything I could have wanted in that moment. It's a cold press coffee with sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. I told you in the beginning that this post was indulgent, but this beverage was anything but. It was quite the contrary—a deep, roasty coffee flavor with hints of sweet and a touch of creaminess. Oh, man. I later realized that Bread & Pickle is one of Kim Bartmann's establishments, so it all makes sense (she owns Red Stag. Barbette, Pat's Tap, Bryant Lake Bowl, etc.).
I will leave you here with a few last words: 1) Find your mindfulness—stop and smell the roses, feel grateful for the present, 2) enjoy this beautiful fresh late-summer air, and 3) NEVER drink hot coffee that's been poured over ice.
