SHC

I thought this would be a great time to tell a little of the nurturing corner in this crazy world I've made for myself, and by that I mean when I'm being good to myself. I sum this up with my favourite drink; the Signature Hot Chocolate.

Lets first set the scene...

The cafe is in the centre of the city, on one of the busiest crossroads where the pavements are almost as wide as the road itself - it is usually full of people rushing, plodding and wandering about their business.
To get to this place I walk 25 minutes (it used to only take about 15) to the train station where this journey into the city takes 10 minutes and then have another walk depending on where I get off.
The days I head into the city are usually when I have a hospital appointments to attend, which are just out of the city centre, so I usually get to the cafe before the lunchtime rush after those morning appointments. On route from the hospital I stop off at the big indoor market and get myself a wonderful snack, fresh out of the oven, two dollar and 50 cents worth of deliciousness; a 10 inch hot spinach and cheese borek. I walk to the cafe devouring this slowly, taking my time doing so and it is usually eaten up a block before I get to the cafe.

So this SHC isn't the smallest, nor is it the biggest by far, but I do have it with skimmed milk, no whipped cream or marshmallows - thank you very much. I find myself somewhere in the window to sit and have gotten lucky enough to find a foot stool near by on some occasions.
I take my drink and get myself comfy, my puffer jacket behind my back, ipad and phone out; only then do I have a sip. The first sip is the best, I get the cooler, frothy chocolaty milk, the hit of sweetness that is so needed after the savoury borek. That first velvety sip is closely followed with another and I savour the slight heaviness of the drink; it's not too sweet, not too chocolaty, not too milky - it is just prefect for me. I could sip at that drink for an hour, if only it could be kept at the right temperature to last that long. I sit back enjoying the chocolate taste sensation, watching the people pass my window, wondering what they are all about - today it was stormy after a bright and sunny start, so looking and sniggering at people's summer attire while it's bucketing it down was amusing to say the least!

After the first finger full I open my ipad and make a start on the emails, I guess that is why some are disjointed; I'm too focused on the chocolaty goodness I'm sipping (or maybe its just my sieve-headness?). I'm in the flow of the SHC and during those first sips nothing else much matters; I am watching and thoughts of 'where I am' are far from me.

At this time I'm feeling warm and fuzzy inside, I'm reading the kind words of anothers to me and imparting stored up emotions and feelings of my own onto the blank page - cathartic doesn't quite do it justice really. I am feeling nurtured by this little routine I have surrounding the SHC, I'm doing me some good, I'm being kind and gentle and giving myself a treat. I'm taking time out for me, I'm not rushing, I don't have to be anywhere and can watch the rest of the world charging by the window - this is my piece of calm in the mad, mad world and I just want to get this down here, make a mental note of how good it's been for me to carve it out. I'm not sure how many more I'll get in the future after Miss Amelia arrives, so am really savouring every moment sat in this window...