I HEART the Vanderbilt Starbucks

My favorite coffee house in the world thus far (having not yet seen them all)
is the Starbucks right across the street from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, also a block away from The United Methodist Church's Upper Room Chapel. Twice as big as most locations, it sports a variety of types of seating centered around a lovely fireplace well-suited for the cozy atmosphere. The inside is teeming with the conversation, reading or lap-topping of students, business persons and those who do not fit any real category.

I thrive in coffee shops, finding a palpable creative ambiance in the synthesis of surrounding mental energy, soft music and the scents of tasty items brewing and steaming. I've written an entire book in a coffee shop, and brainstormed endless ideas with people or gotten to know them much more deeply. The setting is both my most productive and my most relaxing context. It's great and rare when you can combine those two endeavors--productivity and relaxation.

So my goal in life is to figure out how to spend more time in this particular Starbucks. Ok, it's not the only goal, but it will pave the way for greater success in other more worthy endeavors, I am sure.

For how can a productive AND relaxed person be anything but a boon for humankind? :-)