LuLu's Coffee in Santa Cruz

Sipping on a menthe coffee mocha, overflowing with homemade whipped cream, I notice, thankfully, that I fit in with the Santa Cruz crowd. Is it because I'm wearing thrift store clothing and jewelry that was made from recycled newspapers? No, (although the jewelry does sound fun), I fit in only because I'm using a Macbook laptop. Yes that's right. Thank goodness Damon lets me bring his Apple computer into town while he's teaching karate at work. Otherwise, I may have had to make the unwritten, social faux pas of bringing in any other laptop into a Santa Cruz local coffee shop. Unlike my adventure into town yesterday, today every coffee-drinker at LuLu's is busy on their Mac laptops. It's less crowded and noisy today as well, which allows me better to hear the indie music they play over the speakers. 

LuLu Carpenters is the second (or third?) location for their coffee shops, the first being the cafe' they opened in an octagonal-shaped building on Front Street. I have been know to frequent the Octagon (as it is usually referred), but per Damon's suggestion, I have been to LuLu Carpenter's now two days in a row. The difference is they have music and food, and the building is made of bricks. Downsides: inconvenient walk. 

Today, my last full-day in Santa Cruz during Winter/semester break from SSU, I ventured into many new stores that have intrigued me for too long. The Paper Palace contains some of the most beautiful greeting cards and post cards (all of which I was tempted to buy, with or without good reason), the Sterling Silver store contains rings of my size with my favorite gemstone, Mystic Fire Topaz (even if the prices are somewhat absurd) and the Artist's Gallery shop contains some of the most beautiful independently handmade jewelry I've ever seen. All on one street, in one fantastic city. 

Yes, I'll miss the nonchalance I've felt during my stay in Santa Cruz over the break. This next semester I will only experience such enjoyment in short, two-day long weekends. I'm going to miss the independent walks along Pacific I've had and the interesting people I've encountered. And while perhaps my strolls along Pacific are not over, I will have to wait a long time to enjoy it with such a relaxed and carefree nature.