Almost four weeks in, and I'm just getting into the rhythm of life. My pictures have been filled with coffee, color, and combinations of the two. As I've said before, I love coffee shops for the ambience and the warm atmosphere that they provide.

My coffee shop tour of Edinburgh has been my comfort so far on this trip. I know that I will always find like-minded people to talk to, drinks to taste, and pictures to take. I relish the coziness or the clean lines, the organization or the lack thereof, the aesthetic principles or the easy friendliness.

Of course, this is all part of my larger story. I'm trying to find my creativity, adventures, and connections in a place where I'm unknown, where I'm just another person, where I'm another dot on the map. I'm trying to be myself in a place that doesn't know where I've been or where I'm going. I'm trying to add pages to the book of my life.

What I'm trying to say is that every story is different, but the most important part is that every story is valuable. Don't ever dismiss someone's else's thoughts and dreams because they are not the same as your own. That is how you grow, that is how you develop. I need variety as much as the next person because I thrive on that interest.

I want to find out about other people. I want them to tell me their stories. I want to know why they do what they do as much as I want to tell them why I do what I do. Never apologize for being curious. I won't, and you shouldn't either.

My vanilla rooibos latte against the earthy wall of The Caffeine Drip.

Bringing the coffee shops into my story means that I find similarities between them and differences too, just like I do with people. Similarities in coffee shops are, of course, their products, but differences are what make them who they are as brands. Encourage the difference, and make sure everyone around you knows that you accept and value them as they are right now and who they will become.

Have an open heart, and know that everyone struggles with something. Building people up is the best way to have them do the same for you. I love coffee because it is a tool of connection.

Find your own connection, and make your own way. Always realize that your story is continuous, and you are your own author.

Lucky Strike of the Day: I had a fabulous vanilla rooibos latte at The Caffeine Drip this afternoon. Definitely a place to check out when in Edinburgh.