A Love Letter to Chai Tea Lattes
Alternate Titles: Justifying Little Purchases, About Paula and Shawn
My love affair with chai tea lattes and boujee coffee shops started two years ago when Voyager Coffee opened a mere 5 minute walk (4 minutes on my yellow penny board) from my house. The chai was delicious, there was ample seating (a hot commodity in the midst of the pandemic), it smelled great, and the music was well curated. The vibes of Voyager were, frankly, immaculate.
My favorite barista’s name was Shawn. Shawn was this classic California barista man. He accessorized better than I ever will and had impressive facial hair. He always made very direct eye contact and sometimes mentioned weekend plans involving art or shrooms; his vibe was rather intimidating to me. I got so excited when he remembered my order, iced chai with oat milk and less spice (I have a very low tolerance for spicy things, even in liquid form), and even more excited when he started remembering my name.
I did a lot at Voyager; I wrote applications, completed my thesis, edited thousands of photos, met up with friends, and it was all made better by a chai tea latte in hand.
Halfway through our time in Colombia, all the Fulbright ETAs flew to Bogota for a mid-year seminar. During a workshop, we were asked to write our past selves a letter. My letter flowed out of me like ink from one of those fancy fountain pens; I had been in Colombia for a bit over five months at that point and my life looked completely different than it had four months prior. There was a lot of wisdom I wished I could retroactively impart on my past self:
It’s going to shock your system more than you are expecting
Don’t go to the grocery store, go to El Mercado de Cabeza y Cola instead
Just take the motorcycles, it’s fine
Your relationship will end – don’t worry, it’s an okay breakup this time
Dance classes and crossfit are your best friends, get to them ASAP
Live with Colombians, not Americans
And, don’t underestimate the power of a chai tea latte
A 15 minute walk (or 3 minute motorcycle ride) from my new apartment in Monteria is a cafe called Masai. There are 5 white tables with brown wooden chairs inside, along with a poorly translated orange neon sign. I discovered their iced chai tea lattes about two months after moving to Monteria, and I’ve been there at least twice a week ever since.
It was a game changer; going to Masai was an event at a time when I desperately wanted more plans. I could lesson prep, read, or journal, while drinking my chai and enjoying the AC – plus I loved being a regular. I love that the waitresses jokingly ask me what I’ll be ordering everytime and that I can hear them call back “el chai de Maggie” to the kitchen. Masai ended up being this place where I was taken care of by strangers.
I remember journaling there the day after my breakup. Without a word, Paula dropped a basket of napkins at my table (you don’t get napkins unless you’re eating something). I looked at her confused and cocked my head as if to ask “what are these for?” She traced a short line from her eye to her cheek. She had caught the tears pooling in my eyes. That week, all the waitresses left the basket of napkins on my table without question or explanation.
I now know Paula, Stephanie, Juliana and Osmari quite well. Paula drives a pink and purple motorcycle and has been working here forever. Stephanie has two little girls at home and let them put red streaks in her hair. Juliana quit for a while and begrudgingly came back about a month ago. And, Osmari was recently hired after moving from Venezuela. I am greeted by name every time I walk through the doors and I’m allowed to stay as they clean and close up shop at night. They tell me about their boss and I tell them about mine, they notice when I have had a particularly easy week or when I’ve gone on a trip, and even on the busiest of days we make time to share a laugh.
All of this to say, I suppose, that this post isn’t actually about overpriced chai. It’s a thank you letter of sorts to the people who started as strangers making my chai and took a little extra time at work to ask how I was doing, and listen to the answer. The space they created made a difference that I might not have noticed in the moment, but certainly do notice as I look back. So, no it’s not the chai tea lattes that made life a little better – it was Paula and Shawn.