✨ Nostalgia in a Can ✨

There’s something uniquely comforting about a canned coffee for me. My appreciation for it began back in Japan in 2003, where I first encountered the iconic hot and cold cans from Boss, Georgia, and Fire. Each sip of coffee in a can now takes me back to either the chaotic motion of Tokyo or the early, still mornings of Kobe. Or, to a friend and our road trip in Moldova a lifetime ago. I went on a road trip through Moldova with one of my best friends, who is Ukrainian. We stopped at a gas station on our way to Transnistria and I remember our mutual giddiness when we came upon a couple of canned coffees in the fridge. It’s the simple things in life. Yes, I do get excited, really excited, for things in life which may seem small and valueless to others, but are priceless to me. We both excitedly started telling each other our “canned coffee origin stories.” For me, today, I’m struck at how a simple coffee in a can is able to transport me across the world and back in time. All the while sitting on a balcony under the sun in Florida in 2024. I mean, I can see us laughing in the gas station. I can see myself stopping at one of the many vending machines around Ebisu or at the one I would stop at when I was living and working in Kobe. It feels as though I am reliving those moments right now. In this chair. Is this maybe why there’s no going back? That there’s no reason to go back to a place? Instead, make the memories that will stay with you forever. If you can recall a memory so vividly, why go back? 

Do you have a favorite nostalgic drink that brings back memories? Or do you have thoughts on staying in the present and not revisiting the past? Share your thoughts and stories below! ☕️💭

💭 from winter park, florida 23jun24