As a joint-degree student spending two years at an American university and two years in St Andrews, my biggest culture shock has been something so universal: cafes. Being from the US, I have always equated cafes to work and productivity. The coffee gives me energy to write my essay, the tables give me space to spread out my papers, and the quiet indie music in the background keeps me on task. I would get in my car and drive on the wide roads to my local cafe where people vigorously typed on their computers next to stacks of papers and a half-finished coffee. It felt like a place more cozy than an office or school, but with the same purpose.
There is hardly a lack of coffee shops in St Andrews. Everywhere I walk, there’s a new drink to try, and for me, another study spot. Of course, in a town filled with university students, I always see people immersed in their work. However, in every European city I’ve been to, I notice something communal at the heart of its cafe culture: when I lived in Germany, I would be invited to a café to have a leisurely drink and pastry with friends; in North Macedonia, groups of teenagers go to coffee shops and play card games for hours after school, talking until there’s nothing left to say; during the lunch rush at St Andrews, I notice groups of people conversing and laughing.
The concept of third space by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, describes a social environment separate from the two primary environments of home (the first space) and work (the second space). I believe that cafes in Europe embody this. In contrast, in the US, we are so consumed by hustle culture that even cafes, meant to be a point of social gathering, become almost an extension of the office. This leaves very few places for leisure and enjoyment. Even our infrastructure prevents community. While I can walk with friends in St Andrews to the Starbucks in town, I have to drive ten minutes to sit in my car at the drive-through in the US. This leaves the question: what can Americans learn from European cafe culture? How can we make cafes a third space, even if our culture designs them not to be?
Sitting around a table playing cards is much more energizing than an iced vanilla latte. This work-life balance, centered around community, is necessary to lead a fulfilling and productive life. Talking and laughing with friends or family is the best way to recharge and separate myself from the hustle of everyday life, reducing the mental stress and burnout from my uni workload. Next time I return to the US, I want to view my local cafe as a third place. Not only a means to an end, but as a spot that grounds me in my town and community.