There is only a week until I move out of Saint Paul and start my journey with my family. This month has felt perfectly timed. It feels exactly like I have been here for a month. Every day is steady. There is a slight feeling of excitement for my adventure but at the same time, each day is very relaxed and calm. I have felt very content: like the part in the roller coaster theory of life where I am waiting in line to board onto the ride.
Saint Paul has treated me very nicely. It is like a transitory place for me because it is the first place I have lived outside of Rochester that I can recall (I was born in California but I have lived in Rochester since I was two). It was not too much of a culture shock here because I still felt the "Minnesota Nice" in people. My pop had always told me to not let my environment affect my mood or happiness too much. Being in Saint Paul has not really changed who I am, but more how I wanted it to change me. I am in control, and so far, I really enjoy living in a bigger city. There are more resources and opportunities here. I also learned how to use the bus system which I am more proud than I should be. Saint Paul is already awesome, but it is only 1/2 the package of the Twin Cities because Minneapolis is just across the river. Overall, the Twin Cities is a delightful place to be and a place I could picture myself in the future being here for a long period of time.
I have become fond of observing all the different types of "feels" in each moment. Every second has a feeling that is distinguishable and has its own vibe. These vibes can differ tremendously from others, or they may only differ slightly. This event of emotions always occurs when I am in an elevator. I use the elevator at least four times a day to get to and from the apartment I live in and depending on the time, there is usually another person in the moving box with me. There is small pressure that always sparks whether to start a conversation or just stay quiet. Either way, I always end up with this question in my head. When the person gets to his or her floor and I am left alone, the air changes. More or less, the air feels emptier and in a sort of way, I feel relieved. Now this is an example of a very slight change of vibe throughout my day. Explaining elevator trips in this way makes me sound like I have a social problem, but I usually end up trying to spark some light conversation which I enjoy doing.
Dunn Bros Coffee- West 7th St. Saint Paul
On a busy street just outside down town Saint Paul and a block away from the Xcel Center, a lone Dunn Bros stands. There are may bars and restaurants nearby including the famous Italian restaurant Coestta's (top-notch cannolis). I am usually not a big fan of Dunn Bros from my experience in Rochester, but it was raining outside and I needed a place to blog. I walked in to a brightly lit place with lots of color. There are three baristas here and the lady who took my order was average in her politeness. I personally need to work on my eye contact. I would also like to note that she forgot to ask me if I wanted cream in my coffee which is a small matter but a matter nonetheless. The girl who filled my coffee then asked if I wanted cream which I replied with a "no-thank-you" and she actually filled it up all the way unlike Starbucks who never fill the coffee to the brim. The ambiance of the cafe is quite pleasant. Everything is spaced out nicely and the light fixtures are unique and effective. Now the coffee I got was a dark roast but honestly, my tongue has not yet developed an acquired sense of taste yet so the coffee was nothing special or too exotic. Overall, a good experience and I would probably take a friend here if we were in the area. Still a little biased against Dunn Bros because of it high prices (even higher than Starbucks) and a bad experience in Rochester (another story).
Jason's Professional Opinion on Local Cafes (JPOOLC): 5.5/10
- Dunn Bros West 7th St. Saint Paul, MN
