Chai Lattes

I discovered the wonders of the chai latte my freshman year at Scripps, around Thanksgiving time, at The Motley Coffehouse at my beloved Scripps College. To this day, I have no idea what spices meld themselves together in this scrumtious treat, but I love it. As many of my friends, family, and colleagues know, I do not really enjoy hot beverages and favor Diet Coke over coffee 99 out of 100 days of the year.

This morning I arrived at work with my 44oz "keg" of diet coke to discover that I was without butter for my toast (and my bread was stale to boot). So after my 9am meeting, I forced my hungry butt out into the cold and made my way to The Daily Grind for a bagel. Once there, the thought of holding a cup of warmth would make the walk back much more endurable. So I ordered the largest chai latte they had.

That was about an hour ago. 15 minutes ago, I read an e-mail about my 5 year Scripps reunion next May. The committee members had strategically sprinkled reminders of our four years of fun and bliss throughout this message to encourage those less willing to a) attend the reunion and b) fork over hard earned cash to support the college.

After reading this e-mail, I was filled with nostalgia. My four years at Scripps were very special. Scripps gave me a place where I felt I really belonged and fit in a way that I hadn't through the nightmare drama and pettiness of high school and junior high. This is a feeling I get whenever I spend any time face to face with a fellow Scrippsie.

So when, 5 minutes ago, I realized my chai latte had cooled to a point where I could take that first sip (okay, so it's pretty cold by now since I forgot about it) those feelings of nostalgia and happiness became firmly cemented in my head and heart. I am hoping that feeling stays with me as H2B and I head up to Maine this evening to spend a chilly, but delicious Lobster Thanksgiving with my mom and sister.