Coastal Coffee and Books

The scene changes, and it all feels different. Go to a different town, and the familiar can somehow feel unfamiliar. Visit some favourite spots of a known town, and enjoy the different feeling of the places. Even as they hold past years of memories. 

The coastal feel changes the whole experience for me. When a town is on the water, the landscape, the weather, the breezes are all different. That tropical sense is also apparent in all the views. Palm trees are the most frequent plant. The way people dress is different. Most people are either on holiday or retired (so it seems). They wear shorts, skirts, tropical shirts, sandals. A beauty rests in the relaxed atmosphere of the people on the whole. 

It's a busy place. If everyone is on holiday they are dashing to and fro on the roads. I seek out the quieter places, the coffee shop, the book shop. Thankfully, I avoid the crowds that are all shopping. I purposefully avoid them because I don't want their stress. I seek the feeling of a holiday. Take it slow. Take a breath and look around you.

This is the time of year when all things start to speed up and all the rush of Christmas (and all the shopping) falls upon us. Rather than get pulled in, I try to embrace the simple and the quiet. I choose not to join the crowds at stores. I choose to be a bit more mindful of what I buy. I want my life to be joy-filled and simple. And especially in this Christmas season, I wish for my focus to be on the reflection of Advent time and what it means to be in waiting before Christ.