Falling in love at a Coffee Shop

Charina Urban
Oct 29, 2014
2 min read

There is something perfectly nostalgic about returning to the place that started it all. Something that brings back those butterflies in the pit of your stomach and questions like “does my hair look okay?” or “are you sure this is the right outfit?” that only a first date can ignite.

On January 7th, 2013 I walked into a coffee shop alongside a boy wearing a grey zip-up and jeans, who I only knew by reputation and a few hundred text messages. I was giddy with amazement (and something similar to a celebrity crush) that this 6 foot five, sandy blonde, blue eyed, incredibly good-looking guy would have even the slightest romantic interest in me.

Tonight, nearly two years later, I walked into that same coffee shop holding the hand of my husband. As we sat down at a small center table, two shadows sitting in the corner that resembled a younger version of ourselves caught my eye. I watched as the girl fidgeted in her seat and tried her best to come up with something funny to say or a way to make herself appear more interesting. I smiled to myself and thought “Calm down honey. It only gets better from here.”

And then I noticed something I hadn’t seen the first time. There was a sparkle in the boy’s eye and a slight curl in his smile that said “this girl..she might be something special.”

A slight brush of Will’s hand brought me back to the hot white mocha and coffee cake in front of me. I smiled at him and I knew he was seeing the same thing. It’s funny how one moment, one three-hour conversation about seemingly nothing, one night in a coffee shop, can alter your whole world and lead you down a path you never thought you’d be on. But that’s what happened to us. And that’s exactly what brought us back tonight.

There’s not much I would tell the younger version of myself. It’s important to learn as you go and figure out your story as it’s being written. There’s no fun in a spoiled ending. But if I did have the chance I’d probably say this:

You’re on the right path kid. There’s going to be some bumps, but hang in there. Things won’t always go the way you planned, but I promise you this…They go even better.