Passionate about coffee (and sugar)

  • rhubarb and passion fruit

We arrived in New Zealand a little after midnight. The next morning, our first stop was Sugar at Chelsea Bay which is a cafe at the sugar factory. I just wanted a strong cup of coffee. We had had a few long layovers getting from Chicago to Auckland. I think starting any adventure with coffee is a great idea. I ordered a long black, which turned out to be something like an Americano. It tasted wonderful, but I’m not sure why I was offered a side of water with it….ordering coffee in New Zealand is confusing! I couldn’t resist trying a bit of their bakery. We all decided to order something sweet with our coffees. The french toast was definitely the winning art piece at our table. Then there is the rhubarb cake and the passion fruit tart.

I decided to get the passion fruit tart because of the actual passion fruit that was plopped on top. I have tried drinks or sweets with passion fruit flavor before, but it had always been a mix of passion fruit and something else. I had never eaten an actual passion fruit before. My friend taught me to eat it by scooping out the seedy goo in the center. Native to South America, the passion fruit is the common name for the fruit of the passion flower (Passiflora edulis). And what an interesting name. I highly recommend researching the etymology of passion fruit. I also highly recommend buying a fresh passion fruit to really taste the wonderful flavor it gives.

Let’s make this real!

As time goes by, memories fade. I often go back through old albums and look at the photos saying ‘oh yeah, I remember that now!’ or ‘what was his name again?’ and regret not keeping a better record. And so begins another journey in a new era of my life. No more excuses, no more regrets. The places, the people, the experiences, the food – all are so valuable to me.

sun on water
Watching the sun sparkle on Lake Taupo.

To savor means to taste and enjoy completely. I will savor every moment and every memory, every challenge and every minute of peace, every bite of food and every drop of drink that passes my lips, every person I meet and every laugh we share, every language I learn and every book I read. Life is beautiful. The world is wondrous. As long as God gives me breath to breathe, I will pursue my dreams. Let the adventures begin and the opportunities be without end. Let mine be a life well lived.