Ah yes, coffee. One of the most consumed drinks around the world. It’s easy to quickly drive through a Starbucks or chain coffee shop to get a quick fix of caffeine. However, on an assignment, becoming immersed in the local community is one of the best ways to explore an area. Where is a place to dive into that local feel? Easy answer: Coffee shops!
For much of its history, coffee has been a significant component of social bonding. That’s why when you walk into a local coffee shop, you can immediately hear the echoes of conversations and laughter throughout the entire shop. It’s not hard to spark a conversation with someone over a cup of coffee.
It can often be challenging to meet people outside of your workplace on an assignment. In almost any town, city, village, etc., you can find a nifty local coffee shop nearby to pop into and get talking to someone! A simple conversation starter can turn into a friendship, and you get a delicious hand-crafted coffee out of it too!
Finding the Best Coffee Shops near YOU.
It can be challenging to spot local coffee shops in a brand-new area. We’ll give you some tips and tricks to find one near you.
Join a local Facebook Community Group
Many cities or towns have a Facebook group dedicated to information about that area. These groups often find events, restaurants, recommendations, and much more to share and discuss with the group. Search the place you’re at on Facebook, go to groups, and see what groups there are. Many may be private, so be aware you will have to request to join in one!
In these groups, you can search through and find some coffee posts or put yourself out there and ask the groups where they recommend! This is one of the best ways to get a true local recommendation and find the best of the best.
Visit City Guide Websites
Almost every city or town has a website with guides to check out and locate the best local food & drinks. Coffee shops are practically guaranteed to be on that list! Try your best to gear away from the chain coffee shops.
To find your area’s website, go to your search engine and type in your city or town! It should be one of the top links in your searches.
Check out USA Today’s “Best Coffee Shops in Every State.”
USA Today came out with a list that contains the best coffee shops in each state within the U.S. While some may be a drive for you, it could be a fun way as a travel nurse to check these off throughout your travel journey and meet tons of locals all over.
Starting up a Conversation.
Feeling anxious that you may not know precisely how to connect with someone at a coffee shop? We’ve got you. Starting conversations with someone is about being personable and genuine, especially with the locals!
Locals love talking about where they live. To spark a conversation, bring up or ask a question about an upcoming or ongoing local event! Topics such as a concert, a fair, a farmer’s market, an open house, or anything to get the conversation focused on the area. You could even go into discussing other restaurants nearby and ask for their recommendations on where to go around town.
Another easy strategy is to discuss your coffee orders. This introduction is one of the top ways conversations begin at a coffee shop. Everyone at the shop has one thing in common: ordering a drink. Turn to a person near you and ask what their go-to order is. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a great recommendation and want to order their coffee order the next time around!
History of Coffee
According to sources, coffee has been around for a very, very long time. We’re talking back to the 9th century. Coffee also has a long and in-depth history… so let’s simplify it.
Legends state it started in the land of Ethiopia after a goat herder noticed his goats were acting oddly after eating ‘red cherries.’ He shared this experience with a monk & from there, the magic berries grew to become what we call coffee.
It went to the Middle East, where it was grown in Yemen and became well known in Egypt, Persia, and Turkey. Then to Asia, where Indonesia became a staple for growing coffee after many failed attempts. It made its way to Europe, where coffee shops grew vastly throughout England, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland. There, these coffee shops became known as the ‘social hubs’ as people came here to communicate about all sorts of news! Coffee finally got to the Americas in the early 18th century. About time right? And from there, it was a staple all across the world.
Coffee has 15 different stages going from a seed to a cup! Check out this graphic below from Coffeeble.com!
Titan Medical’s Caffeine Fix!
Did you know that Titan has our caffeination area in our offices? These coffee areas are where our internal employees grab a cup of delicious coffee, have conversations, and laugh with their coworkers. Once they get their coffee in their hands, they’re off and ready to land you your dream assignments.
Are you ready to join the travel healthcare world and find your perfect assignment? Our recruiters at Titan Medical are dedicated to finding you a place you love & will thrive at! Give Titan Medical a call today at 866.332.9600, and we’d love to assist in seeking your next adventure!