Today dawned gloomy, as the hurricane skirts past. My plans to go downtown and meet folks fell through yesterday, so while I had a great, long, and satisfying gardening session instead, I was feeling the need to get out of the house. Inspired by how my friend Alice takes her freelance work on the road around her town, I've been checking out "third place" spots for me. (Alice's life often appears to me as the epitome of urban sophisticated lifestyle.) Today, I paid attention to how I dressed, loaded the laptop into the backpack and marched to downtown Silver Spring (just above a mile away). I had little food in the house, and a taste for Kaldi's mushroom toast.
I've been here over two hours, settled in with the laptop truly on my lap, surveying the people, learning about loading and editing youtube videos, posting away on the gardening blog. The combination of the great social space, fabulous healthy food, and responsive wifi tells me I've found at least one of my on-going spots. This is my third visit, and I'm feeling completely at home. Something to compare to Alice's Joyist hangout.
The space has a modern, industrial vibe, and the clientale reflects the diversity of my town. University professors, millenials, immigrants, mothers with toddlers, folks on laptops, folks having conversations. And, besides coffee and good breakfast / sandwich / salad food, it's got a liquor license! I'm wearing over-the-ear headphones, piping in my own quiet classical music, as a nearby toddler was on the verge of irritating me. I didn't want to make the mother feel worse, and I think it's ok to be subject to (some) disturbance in public spaces - that's part of being out in the world.
Kaldi's Social House
2 comments:
Oh! So cool. I have to catch up on your sailing and other posts......mushroom toast, that sounds great! I'm glad my have laptop/can travel habit inspires you......xoxoox. But the downside of being a wanderer, for me, is that my earnings wander, too....our wifi can be late and get cut off, electric bill late, etc..... I'm also glad you put on the earphones......whether or not the mom and toddler showed gratitude, that was a very gracious and good-for-the-world thing for you to do. Love Alice
On the bus home (last time, VA platforms reopen Monday),and wanted to say yay, Kaldi and thanks for kind words on Kim's blog. Yes, feeling some heat, want to be better and faster NOW. But loving it.
Liz
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