There’s something buried deep within our psyche to avoid pain. Or if we’ve gone through it we quickly block it out (or try) and years later what we recall is a sanitized version of the events minus the pain, the struggle, the adversity, and the emotional and physical exhaustion we may have felt that the time. Obviously when it comes to true trauma … childhood abuse … loss … there is no sanitizing it. It was and is horrific. A broken record that we try to forget or at least attempt to mute.
We have the same inclinations when it comes to many of our so-called adventures, right?
Missing riding on dirt? I’m here to tell you … there is good news. It’s so good that you won’t have to turn in your “I’m a Mountain Biker” card AND you don’t have to wear lycra onesies. What’s this wizardry then?
Living in the Pacific Northwest there are endless mountain biking destinations. Whistler is the one on the top of everyone’s list and from there we work down the list. Thrown in there are all kinds of regional favorites from lift-assisted bike parks to free ride trail systems and more. From Portland one can hit all of these within a day. So why do I keep going back to Bingen?
While most everything is shut down, including our favorite local cafe or coffee shop, it means we’re brewing more coffee at home than we had been used to. While the “need” for coffee has been put in its proper place, in light of everything else swirling around it is also a welcome distraction … especially when it comes to experimenting with different brew methods. That brings us to the moka pot.
The most important question is … does it make a good shot of espresso? Also, since these are built to be used outdoors … around the morning campfire or at the trailhead how much should we care if it’s as quality of a shot as from a $25,000 commercial espresso machine? The short answer is that it’s certainly not as good, but that’s not the purpose or the point. The reality is that with the Kompresso you can have a shot of espresso wherever you go. Whether you pack it on a work trip and you’re in your hotel room or after a cold night of camping it delivers a shot of espresso that is refreshing, delicious, and fun.
Life is full of decisions. So often we focus on the big … the macro. What job or career will we embark on? Where will we move or relocate to? Which kind of house or home will we move into? While those are big, punctuated in between are even more decisions to make … the micro. Hit snooze for an extra 9 minutes? Ride this trail or that one? Brew coffee with an AeroPress or pourover? Red flannel or green flannel? Ride the singlespeed or trail bike?
