We all have them. We like some, and are not particularly fond of others. We had some thrust upon us with centuries, decades or years of history behind them; and we create others. And there are certain traditions we never notice becoming traditions until circumstance or forgetfulness hinders us from doing them and we go through the rest of the day feeling like something is missing.
One such 'tradition' for me is getting a caramel frappachino from Starbucks every time I’m at an airport. I never noticed this sneaking up on me because I was formerly of the rigid stance that I would never succumb to the Starbucks craze. In all honesty, I am of the genre of coffee drinkers who will never notice if you gave them the finest of brews today and switched it tomorrow. Unless it has an unusual smell or is too acidic for my poor stomach, it is coffee like all the others.
I had to be coerced and have my drink paid for to try my first caramel frap. And yet, today, I find myself going great lengths to a find Starbucks every time I’m in an airport. I rationalize the calories away with the insignificant number of times I travel per annum. And there’s no way to describe how the first sip feels, nor the warmth I feel enjoying my frappachino (although I usually get it cold).
It’s become my very own tradition. Wherever I find myself, it’s a little piece of familiarity that I can count on. It’s like that familiar face in the midst of a strange crowd. No matter how big, busy, or labyrinthic an airport is, in my cup of caramel frappachino, I find the comfort of familiarity. And it makes me feel at home.
Do you have any such tradition? I’d like to hear about it.
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