After my morning class, I went up to a restaurant that is on my university’s campus, Louis Loft. I spend a lot of time here, it’s calm but fast, everyone is sitting down and eating, they are either talking with friends or studying at the same time. In a world where people eat hamburgers as fast as they can before they run off to whatever is the next thing in their day, seeing people take an hour to enjoy a meal and catch up with friends.

When I come to Louis’, I either order a coffee or an iced chai latte, but today I decided to mix it up a little and ordered a tea. I normally don’t drink tea, for whatever reason I don’t really like it, it might be that it’s too hot, or it’s on bitter enough, it could be any number of reasons. Today something is different, I rationalized it by saying my stomach is acting up and wouldn’t tolerate something strong, like coffee, so I ordered a tea. When they brought it to me in a French Press with a little cup and saucer, not in a cup with the tea bag in a cup of hot water, also it was missing something that I’ve come accustomed, judgment and expectations.

I rarely finish anything I order at a restaurant so I always feel judged whenever I walk into one. This tea came with you an expectation that I would finish it, without judgement, and that made me love it. If my order comes without judgement and expectation, I can enjoy my order like everyone else without feeling like a person’s entire opinion of me is riding on me finishing it. That feeling is so rare, and so welcome when it arrives.

In Louis’ I’m not judged for my different eating and medical problems. Here I’m simply another University student slowing down her life a little by enjoying a cup of tea; and that I’m entirely grateful.