Moving Forward often means... You can't go Back

I thought I'd post an update on my progress so far this month.

I have actually done very well on kicking Starbucks to the curb!

I went once last weekend and once this weekend - I am sitting in one right now, in fact. I went to the nearest Starbucks, which used to be my favourite one. I walked in the door and... they had gotten rid of my favourite comfy chairs in the corner. Shoot.

It had been the perfect seating area - it had an electrical outlet for my battery-challenged laptop. It had two brown leather chairs. It wasn't near any of the speakers which could be too loud sometimes.

As I walked in, I debated walking right out again and going to the other Starbucks. But I pushed through that, and now here I sit on an upholstered banquette with a table that is too high for comfortable laptopping. So my laptop is... on my lap.

There are 4 comfy chairs across the store but they are nowhere near an electrical outlet and so... here I sit, a bit disgruntled. I should have expected this - stores are forever changing their layouts, and I haven't been to this one in eons. I had moved on from this Starbucks and... they have too. We are no longer a perfect fit, which is kind of sad.

I suppose that is what happens in life. With coffee shops. With former co-workers. With friends in distant cities. We move on, they move on, and slowly we drift apart. It takes effort to maintain the relationship, the connection. Without any connection, the relationship can move on, beyond our comfort zone. The Christmas cards get shorter. The emails get more infrequent. So it goes. When we move on... we need to move forward, not keep looking back and holding on to the things, or the people, who have also moved on. Our direction may not match their direction. It did at one point... but there is no guarantee that we will continue to move in the same direction in the future. Let it go.

I also have to admit, this hot chocolate tastes overly sweet to me - not like I remember it. Another sign that my love-affair with Starbucks hot chocolate may be a thing of the past. I think I am ready to let go of this Starbucks.