As much as I love and look forward to brewing coffee early in the morning next to a campfire or even at a trailhead before I ride, most often when I am making coffee it is at home. Usually my first cup is brewed before the sun is up. With my eyes still blurry it would seem that the wisest thing to do would be to click a button and poof … coffee pours out of some contraption and into my cup. But for me, it’s a process. One that I love too. Not only that, but the process includes regularly experimenting with new ways to brew coffee.
Enter the Kalita Wave.
So often when we utter the word “adventure” we are usually thinking of or referring to far off places. The kinds of places that require either long road trips or a plane ride … with a few connecting flights en route. While those certainly live up to being noteworthy adventures, maybe we need to expand on the term “adventure” a bit.
It is no understatement to point out that 2020 was a year for the ages. While hopeful, it’s not like 2021 was the quick turnaround we had hoped for. In rapid-fire succession one traumatic event has happened after another over the past year. This goes far beyond COVID-19 and all of the deleterious effects from it (death, job loss, poverty, bankruptcy, etc). It’s just been a really challenging year since the pandemic hit. Not only that, but it has taken a psychological toll on us all. We’re simply worn out and tired. We need a reprieve. An outlet. An escape. That is why exploring is a gift.
Our social media feeds are full of adventure. Other peoples’ adventures. Often times when we see them our mind immediately goes to our lives and our adventures. And then it hits us … maybe our lives aren’t that spectacular. We don’t have the luxury of a sponsored and fully paid mountain biking trip across the Caucasus Mountains, a weekend rip in Madeira, or racing in Chile. Instead, we’re fortunate in between buying groceries and working on the backyard to peel off for a 1/2 day stint riding local trails on a Sunday afternoon.
It’s the realization that this is all much bigger than basketball, shoes, bikes, or coffee. Then my next thought or question was, “Does Loam Coffee need a statement?” Immediately I dismissed it. Besides, who are we? We’re but a tiny brand. It’s not like we hold any sway. But then I started thinking about people. People I know and love …
When it comes to mountain biking most of us are mere mortals. Our skills are so-so and probably A LOT better in our minds than in real life. We also feel the internal tension because we’re not all criss-crossing the globe on Instagram-worthy mountain bike expeditions (especially now). Or if we do they’re not as often as we’d like … or admit. So what do we do in the meantime?
Micro-adventures.
