Fond Farewells

Waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2014

I just stopped at my favorite coffee shop in town for the last time, as they will be closing down after tonight. I've got all these feelings about that place so I figured I'd write them down here because this is my blog, after all.

When they first opened 8 and a half years ago, they were my favorite daytime hangout. Friends owned it, friends worked there, and they had the best drinks in town. It was my favorite place to just hang out, drink coffee and chat. We even used to have a code for meet ups, and would just write the 2 words on Facebook, and it was like sending out a beacon in the night, only it was daytime and friends would simply appear and sit for hours, drinking lots of coffee or tea and just chat away. 

When I started library school, I would spend hours writing code or working on papers about metadata or databases. Ugh, databases.

When I was feeling lonely or down, I'd go grab a coffee and chat with whoever was working about movies or books or TV or other random stuff. 

When I really wanted to finish a book, I'd leave my phone at home, go get a drink and sit there and finish that book and walk home feeling accomplished and caffeinated. Ok, maybe I didn't always leave my phone home, because how else would I Instagram my latte or whatever tasty treats they had in the pastry case?

The Shop has always been a place I felt right at home in, and while I know that's sad and a great loss to Ithaca, here's the thing: few things last forever. We got this awesome spot for almost 9 years, which is nearly a decade. For that I am truly grateful, and I wish the owner and staff the best of luck on what comes next.