Thankful #2. Starbucks.

Okay, so this thankful post isn't so much about coffee or gingerbread lattes or mocha fraps (although of course, I appreciate all of the above).

It's more about what happens in the four walls of Starbucks in Amherst, MA.

My very close friend and I began our Friday Starbucks dates during our freshman year. At that point, Starbucks was just a destination of walkable distance. Without our cars on campus, we needed some fresh air and a change of scenery. So nearly every Friday, we would walk twenty minutes, rain or shine, and be rewarded with either an icy drink or steaming hot beverage (depending on our moods or the weather). But again, it's not so much about the coffee. It's the time spent together.

Freshman year blurred into sophomore year. She was no longer down the hall, but in the next building. The Starbucks tradition continued. Some difficult conversations were had over our coffees that year. But we worked through them.

Junior year, our dates were more cherished than ever. My friend moved off-campus, so Fridays represented our scheduled chances to catch up. She started clinical for nursing. I was preparing for my semester in Italy. Big changes were afoot.

For the first time, Skype dates replaced Starbucks dates for five months. She heard about my life across the Atlantic. I was told gripping tales of her time in the maternity ward.

Now, we are roommates. But our being in close proximity couldn't stop the coffee tradition. We still find our  seats by the window almost every week. The conversations are different, but the time together is a constant.

And for that, I am thankful.