The story behind our Manhattan mocha.
For a long time, we thought we were too slick for a mocha. No, no, no….we thought we were too artsy for a mocha.
Mochas were everywhere. They were ubiquitous and usually too sweet, so we dragged our feet on creating one. Instead, we focused on perfecting our blueberry latte and chai, dismissing the numerous requests for a rich, chocolatey, caffeinated drink.
But the requests kept rolling in so we finally started developing a mocha, and surprisingly, the drink reminded us of Manhattan.
Phil and I have different philosophies on Manhattan. As a photographer, he sees beautiful, historic architecture and human innovation, waiting for him to photograph. I see skyscrapers that huddle around and crowd out the blue sky.
He sees people with true and compelling stories that we can peruse like pages in a magazine. And I see exhaustion.
He sees thrift finds and great shopping and I see consumerism at its worst.
As you can tell, Phil is ever the optimist and I just want to cozy up in my comfort zone, protected from the toil of the city.
But when we reflected on our mocha and why it reminded us of Manhattan, one common factor came to both of our minds: My mother.
Mommy doesn’t live in Manhattan, but whenever we visit her, we end up in that city for a day of adventuring and exploring. With mommy, Manhattan changes shape.
Suddenly, under the eye of my all-knowing mom, the city is safe and so am I. The skyscrapers all but bend away from the sky so I can see the sun. Suddenly, the traffic softens to let her voice cut through with train directions and fun facts about the city.
With my mother, Manhattan is a place I want to be and it’s a place that wants me. It’s warm. It’s familiar. It’s kind and it’s uncomplicated. Just like our mocha.