In Seattle, Coffee Outside was something I looked forward to each week. My bicycle instigator, and all around badass friend Madi Carlson invited me to my first #coffeeoutsideforher. One of my favorite parts of our hangouts was how low-stakes it was. Potluck and BYO(whatever) gatherings always feel festive to me. I get excited to share a special recipe and see what everyone else brought. Nothing shared had to be particularly fancy, since riding my bike often makes even average meals taste incredible. Coffee Outside was also a sweet moment in the week just after school drop-off and before the day's pertinent to-do lists were getting started. Meeting outside for 20 minutes or a couple hours often shifted the energy of my whole week. Community doesn't need to be complicated to be supportive.
Now that we live in Chicago, I've been trying to take advantage of all the new-to-me neighborhood parks. Ping Tom was one of the most popular recommended to me on the Chicago Family Biking facebook group. It's a well manicured park alongside the river with great city views, murals, and Chinese architecture. It's around 20 minutes to bike there from my house, which is a nice jaunt by bike for me.
I make my coffee outside on an MSR pocket rocket with an Aeropress or a pour-over, but I honestly cannot taste the difference between the two. Both are easier to cleanup on the go than the standard french press. I'm planning to only use the Aeropress through the winter because it's much faster to serve. Which means the coffee is always hotter. Today's coffee outside was in the mid 20's. I stayed mostly comfortable, but I completely forgot to pack my hand warmers, so I had to warm my hands up on my camp pot between boils. So, it was pretty cold!
(Picture from the bonus__room instagram)
I did it, though!
It would have been nice to have a crowd arrive but this coffee outside was just for me. This was the first bike ride I've taken since August. I didn't realize how much getting hit by a car rearranged my life. I considered myself a pretty confident biker in Seattle. I led Kidical Mass Rides, bike camped, grocery shopped, and cruised around town. I even planned biking into my vacations and work trips. There were days when the kids and I would leave with our bikes in the morning and just goof around the city for the day, letting the best snacks and public bathrooms dictate which direction we went next. If I'm going to enjoy biking like I used to, I'm going to have to keep pushing myself to get rolling. Monthly rides feel like an achievable challenge for the winter. Once I get a consistent schedule going, I'm sure I won't be by myself for long.
Next month, I've got a few different plans. I'm going to spend more time promoting Coffee Outside with flyers, and I'm going to make a sign to set up while I'm there. I offered a few power walkers and joggers coffee, but they passed too quickly for me to really get a cup in their hands. With my current level of BMC supporters, I bought a pack of paper to-go cups so I'll be able to share hot drinks more freely. Giving things away with no strings attached often sets people on edge, so I think more of a structured set up might feel more welcoming.
Would you let me make you a coffee?