Have you ever felt memories pouring back in whenever you hear a specific song? When the music suddenly evokes emotions that propels you back to a particular time in your life?
What if we associate a specific memory with coffee? A cup of java from a particular destination? A cappuccino after a stressful business meeting? A frappuccino after a breakup? A latte after receiving a phone call that you got the job?
I took pictures of cups of coffee I had for years. I had no idea why and what for, but there was something about capturing it.
Cup of Coffee in Pisa, Italy
They say coffee enhances and improves one's memory. Yet, this post is not about that nor any scientific study to prove this. It is about coffee's connection to certain events that are stirred up when we enjoy a cup.
It is how we, caffeine drinkers associate that cup of coffee with an experience that happened at the time we were drinking that specific soothing fluid, the same effect that music has when we hear them.
That was how I learned to enjoy coffee. It's my way of slowing down the moment and reflect on where I am at while sipping the freshly brewed goodness and relishing its aroma.
Special coffee moments that stand out in my memory were afternoons spent with my mother-in-law in France, in the old countryside home where my husband grew up in. She made freshly brewed black coffee at 3 pm and she'd play a vinyl record of Carla Bruni's song, Quelqu'un M'a Dit
We'd sit in silence at the dining table and sip pure black coffee (yes, without sugar) while listening to her husky yet silky voice. We agreed in unison how calming her voice was and we'd stare out into their potager and backyard teeming with peach, pear, and apple trees. It makes me smile when I think about those memories, especially when I sip the exact brand of coffee that she used.
I came across these images and staring at each of them reminded different moods and stages of where I was at during those times.
Coffee shared with friends at home
Afternoon treats alone at PappaRoti in Dubai
Favorite coffee breaks at Caffe Nero Dubai Motor City while my baby was sleeping in the stroller
Coffee Memories
- The coffee that I couldn't have while I was pregnant.
- Coffee-to-go on my way to work during busy workaholic days in Dubai
- Drinking coffee while feeling lost after a friend's betrayal in Argao, Cebu, Philippines
- Simple coffee mornings with family at home in Argao, Cebu
- Iced coffee during hot summer afternoons adjusting to life in the countryside
More coffee moments, Bo's Coffee in Mandaue and Cafe Cebuano when we moved to Moalboal, Cebu
Create your own coffee story
If you've reached this far, you might be thinking, "Who cares about this girl's story?"
My point is, what memory surfaces when you drink that cup?
How do you take your coffee? Do you always take the same each time or do you have a specific type of coffee preference depending on your mood or a particular time of the day? What does coffee mean to you?
Thank you for reading and enjoy every sip of that cuppa!