Whenever asked what I miss most about the pre-pandemic world, being able to sit in a cafe all day is one of the first things that comes to my mind. COVID-19 has, arguably, brought much bigger losses to the world than crowded coffee shops, but right now I find myself mourning them.
I miss walking into a cafe, not a spare seat in sight, hoping that by the time I get my drink there’ll be an empty table waiting for me. I miss having to go to the next coffee shop down the block because the one I am in is too packed. I miss not knowing if I’ll even get to sit at the next one. I miss being squished next to people in line, not worrying that a deadly virus could inflict upon my fellow patron.
I miss sitting in coffee shops to read and write. Or, rather, pretending to read and write while I instead periodically check my phone and email. I miss glancing over the same two pages of a novel and refusing to accept the fact that I cannot read in a busy cafe and instead need silence. I refuse to accept this because I think there is something inherently romantic about slumping down into a crowded cafe and reading, although, for me, very little reading gets done. I miss wondering if fellow customers are impressed by my book choice, if it is something by Oscar Wilde or Charles Bukowski, or if they roll their eyes when they see me reading a fashion magazine. Meanwhile, no one really cares what anyone else is reading anyway.
I miss getting croissant flakes or everything bagel seeds on my laptop. I miss drinking my cappuccino in two sips and reflecting on the fact that I paid $5.00 for something that is finished in a heartbeat. I miss being overcharged for substituting whole milk with an almond one. I miss reflecting on how I will continue to make the poor financial choice of buying these expensive drinks. I miss seeing what new vegan or keto or gluten-free –– whatever particular diet was trending at the time –– bakery treats the cafe had to satisfy their “hipster” millennial customer base. I miss making fun of this.
I miss coming into a cafe to do homework, ordering a coffee, realizing I’ll need more coffee to complete said-homework, then realizing that I am hungry and need food, then feeling like I need more caffeine again. I miss entering into a cafe when it was light out and leaving when it was dark, not knowing where the day went. I miss knowing what time I was by what number of coffee I was on.
I miss bringing my friends to my favourite cafes, and them introducing me to new ones. I miss prompting my friends to go ask the barista for the playlist that they put on, and I miss people-watching the other cafe go-ers. I miss having crushes on them, or admiring their outfits, or thinking that a particular couple looked endearing. I miss wondering where people came from, and where they were going next. I miss when we used to have to go places.
I miss elderly customers who wonder how oat milk is made. I miss customers’ children who only want to order orange juice. I miss the health-conscious women who ask for sugar-free vanilla, and the businessmen who take their coffee black. I miss overhearing the baristas’ small talk about their coworkers or managers or what they were going to do after their shift. I miss people outside of my bubble, I miss people who I do not know, who I will never know and who have lives just as rich and complex and as interesting as mine.
I hold on to the hope that one day, we will go back to crowded spaces without the persistent threat of COVID-19 and its variants. I know that while this pandemic is not close to being over, it will be someday and my nostalgia for past times will be reconciled. But for now, I will continue to miss busy cafes while making my coffee alone.