Simple Pleasures

“I wish he looked at me the way I look at coffee.”

~ Anonymous ~

Our love affair with coffee is undeniable. It’s the morning drug of choice and its intoxicating effects are celebrated around the world on a daily basis.

Some might say, it’s a warm hug on a cold morning… a social moment shared between friends… or simply a relaxing pause during the day.

However, you look at it - it’s pure magic.

More than 400 billion cups of coffee are served around the globe each year and this figure continues to rise at an annual clip of 1.3%. Coffee is also the most widely served beverage on the planet… surpassing even tea.

According to 2019 statistics, Europe is the largest coffee market and consumes 34% of world production; followed by Asia/Oceania at 22% and then North America and Latin America at 19% each.

Here in the USA, the celebrated bean is consumed by 64% of Americans with the average person drinking 3.1 cups per day. Our on-the-go culture reveals New York, Washington and California as the leaders in consumption.

Europe on the other hand, has a passionate relationship with coffee and prefers to stop time when coffee is being celebrated. Everything from the brewing to the sipping is done in a tender, caring manner. It’s a loving time out during the day not to be compromised.

I’m sure many of you have also experienced coffee, cappuccino or expresso being served in porcelain cups in Paris, Madrid, Rome (insert your favorite city) to maintain temperature… and as a gentle reminder to live in the moment.

A couple of years ago on a trip to Portugal, we were rushing to catch the metro in Lisbon on a Monday morning (8:00am) and floundering with the ticket machine. After losing patience, we opted to find the ticket booth and a live person. To our surprise, we quickly discovered there was nobody in the booth. This seemed odd considering it was rush hour… albeit European style. A kind stranger noticed our tourist desperation and pointed to a gentleman across the way in a coffee shop standing at a side counter. His colored vest signaled a metro employee and I gently approached him to ask a question. Without hesitation, he politely showed me his ‘stop now’ hand and pointed to his expresso and stated in broken English, “I’ll be back in 5 minutes.”

Coffee is serious business.

Former Starbuck’s CEO, Howard Schultz, discovered this fact decades ago and wanted to bring the European coffee lifestyle to the States. He’s done a remarkable job promoting the romance and ambiance and has certainly branded the Starbuck’s name and culture (next to Nike, McDonalds & Apple, the Starbucks logo is one of the most recognized corporate logos on the planet). However, having experienced both the US and European coffee vibe, I can safely say, it’s more enjoyable on the other side of the Atlantic. It always seems to add a peaceful element to the day.

If we’ve learned anything in the past 12 months, it’s focus on the essentials in life and live in the moment. This may be easier said than done, but should be a key component to every day life.

Sometimes the simple pleasures are the most delightful.

Until next time…

Cheers.