The other day, my iphone made me one of those videos.
You know — the kind that pops up unsolicited when you open your screen to do something productive, like read an email, or look up directions, or text your mom.
Usually, I don’t like them. They feel manipulative, imposing, intrusive.
Maybe it’s because they start with the words “Over the Years” and then send me hurtling back through time — often so far that I land in the years before the accident.
Wasn’t that fun? the video taunts. “Wasn’t life easy back then?”
Yes. And yes.
But hey — I’ve worked hard to live in the present!
This particular video started playing before I could close it out.
And I knew immediately — between reading an email and texting my mom, of course— that it would make a great postcard.
It was called "Freshly Brewed," and was like a playlist of the best coffees I've had since 2019.
To watch the video, click here.
For years I struggled with a morning routine. Most days, my prosthesis was hard to get into. Some days it went on rotated. Other days, it rubbed or pinched my skin. More days than not, I felt like throwing it across the bedroom. And don’t get me started on my scarred digestive system. That was a whole problem of its own.
I was trying to keep pace with a somewhat “normal” life, and morning was my one chance to get my body in gear before the day started. To deal with the pressure, I woke up earlier and earlier, but even then, I left the house tearful, frustrated, and uncomfortable.
Then, one day, I decided to take a morning walk around the block.
It happened by accident, on a holiday weekend when the Pope was in town.
It was just a walk. And a coffee. But there was a miracle sprinkled on top.
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| Coincidence?? |
The “coffee walk” was born.
Taking a walk around the block turned out to be prosthetic genius. It was like a test-drive for my leg. The distance was short enough to survive no matter how much my leg hurt, and long enough to know if I needed to make an adjustment when I got home. As a bonus, the movement helped my digestion, gave it a pattern it could recognize.
Walking wasn’t easy or comfortable, especially first thing in the morning, but my neighborhood was full of cafés.
And it was coffee that motivated me to step out the door!
I can name every cup in that video.
Smell it. Taste it. Feel my hands wrapped around it.
A spiced chai to celebrate walking 6 blocks on my own.
The clank of a silver tray in Innsbruck, Austria.
A cup of hygge in Copenhagen, over pastries we baked ourselves.
Café au lait in Paris with pigeons so brazen they pecked at my cup.
Brazilian hot chocolate from friends who moved to Rio.
And an Instagram-famous latté when I chased down an influencer.
(But that’s a story for another postcard!)
Over more than a decade, the coffee walk has become a sacred part of my morning — one I take with me everywhere I go.
It’s a ritual and a comfort.
A constant in a day of unpredictability. A salve for my anxious mind. A measuring stick for every new place.
A lens through which I track my journey and view the world.
Wherever I go, I strive to become a “regular” at the local café.
Sometimes I get a to-go cup, but when time allows, I sit for a few quiet minutes sipping gently, observing my surroundings as they yawn awake.
I watch parents walking kids to school, neighbors walking dogs. I study fashion trends, critique gait patterns, wave to delivery drivers, hear bicycles bump over bricks.
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| Especially in Amsterdam! |
That one small routine keeps my body regulated and my mind at ease. The rest of the day may be rushed, strenuous, or unpredictable, but the coffee walk is my home-base when I venture far from home.
Of all the tourist sites and travel adventures, it’s the early morning moments I remember and treasure the most.
When a new day starts, wherever I am, I’m there to experience it all.
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| Sharing a coffee walk with Mom in Paris! |
Coffee is such a small luxury.
It doesn’t take much time. (Or leg power, thank goodness!)
But it gets me outside — and into the community — at a bright hour when the day is filled with hope, and I’m filled with energy, and everything still seems possible.
Or maybe that’s just the coffee talking.
In a week or two, I will hit Mile 15,000 on this journey! Which makes me realize the importance of a good first step.
For me, a coffee walk is exactly that — and so much more.
It lands me firmly in the present.
Makes me part of the world — wherever I happen to be.
Even in my own neighborhood.
Walk on,
Rebecca
P.S. Do you have a ritual you bring to your travels? I’d love to hear about it!
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