20 May 2019

Meanwhile, in Orlando | Travel Diary




It's the weirdest thing, when I'm away holiday, that moment in time really is the only thing that matters. I've got quite a bit of work that needs doing and a few deadlines creeping but they can wait, 'cos beers by the pool + planning what restaurant to eat at next is all I can think about.

We've been back from Orlando for about a month now, and a few days after getting home I found myself on a plane heading for Lisbon - for a fun work trip with my mate Jordan (more on that soon). There aren't that many other jobs that I can think of where these kind of last minute trips make sense - I tend to have a reality-check moment while I'm away and think to myself - or sometimes out loud - "oh know what, how cool is this job!?" It's very cool, and I think it pays to remind myself this, but also what it's taken to get to this point in my life too.

I'd never say it's a hard job, I mean, it comes with a lot of stress, anxiety and hard work, but then if I compare it to, say, hospital workers, the policeforce or even the pilot up front flying the plane, then it puts things into perspective. It's all relative though.

I like to use these trips with Hollie as a bit of a release from work, but I never really switch off my camera. I guess it's ingrained in me now, as a geezer who just loves to take photos. It makes me happy - and it's not just for sharing on social media sake, but for my own sense of purpose. Maybe it helps me look at life a little deeper; to notice more, see things that don't seem to matter but ultimately have a meaning, living day-to-day by being aware of how cool normal life actually is.

Mat.

1 May 2019

Deeply Coffee, Downtown Orlando

deeply coffee speciality coffee shop downtown orlando
deeply coffee speciality coffee shop downtown orlando
deeply coffee speciality coffee shop downtown orlando
deeply coffee speciality coffee shop downtown orlando
deeply coffee speciality coffee shop downtown orlando
deeply coffee speciality coffee shop downtown orlando



Well, I wasn't expecting to be visiting this place any time soon, but with some veeeeeery last minute booking provided by Hollie, we found ourselves stepping off the plane at Orlando airport just two days after we bought the tickets. Turns out she's way more spontaneous than I ever imagined. 

We've been visiting Orlando most years since we first got together (13 years ago, whoa), so anything too touristy doesn't really register on our radar anymore - other than the occasion visit to Universal Studios, cos we can never grow bored of that. The speciality coffee scene has slowly but surely becoming a pretty big deal in the city, and thanks to tools such as Instagram we've found ourselves sitting inside some absolutely stonking places.

Deeply Coffee has set the bar extremely high for the city, with a unique interior which featues a polish concrete floor, an impressive poured concrete shared bar + seating set-up, light natural wood cladded walls, hairpin leg tables and stools, mid-century seating and the odd fig plant dotted around. Due to the perfect positioning of Deeply, the whole plot takes advantage of the endless hazy natural light from Orlando's infamous long days. The kinda place you can imagine working away in for hours?

Coffee-wise, they were using beans from Stockholm roasters Drop when we visited; the filter came in a Kinto pouring jug, and for flat whites 'n' smaller these were served in tactile ceramic cups by San Diego-based Tiny Badger. Hollie grabbed silky and sweet cold brew, and the cakes came as big as your hand. The salted raspberry brownie and a banana muffin were both mega. Now this is the real side of Orlando that needs to be explored more often.

Deeply Coffee - 111 N Magnolia Ave #50, Orlando, Florida 32801