Coffee Crawl

The day before the smoke arrived, a few of us gathered for a coffee crawl.

Michelle Wrighte, the new President of the Handel Week Festival, had the delightful idea of visiting local cafés as we dreamed about February’s Bach Coffee Cantata—sharing ideas, meeting coffee shop owners, and imagining ways music and community might come together.

It wasn’t really about the coffee.

It was about conversation, meeting people.

About curiosity.

About the simple joy of walking together with people who care about bringing beauty into the world.

The next day, the air was filled with smoke, and we were all encouraged to stay indoors. It reminded me how quickly an ordinary afternoon can become something worth remembering.

As an applied neuroscientist, I spend a lot of time thinking about sleep, stress, and brain health. But days like this remind me that our brains also thrive on laughter, novelty, shared purpose, and human connection.

Sometimes community isn’t built in grand concert halls.

Sometimes it begins with a coffee crawl and wearing my favorite red sundress!

☕🎶🎵