I had the pleasure of catching up with a friend of mine recently.  A friend that I haven’t seen for over a year now, and had only exchanged emails with since we last saw one another.

We spoke for an hour or two on the phone and though in-person would have been better, I still very much enjoyed catching up.

It was another reminder how something small like a conversation can put a smile on your face or even make your day.  And what the power of connecting with another person can do as well.

Why not get together with someone you haven’t seen in a long time?

The one indulgence I allowed myself while looking for a job was a cappuccino and a croissant at a local cafe.  And yes, this cafe served up their cappuccinos with the perfect foam!

I would take an hour or so to read a book and de-stress.  In my opinion there aren’t too many better ways to relax than this.  In fact, I have often remarked to my girlfriend what the perfect getaway for me would entail.  Going away to a tropical island or a small European village invariably are the first to come up.  And I always follow up with the reason for the getaway- a place to wake up every day, head to a cafe, and read.

One morning while I was reading at the cafe I looked up to see a man walking by.  He smiled and said “coffee, sun, book… not bad!”

He couldn’t have been more right.  And as I was walking around today on this hot, but pleasant Saturday afternoon I was again reminded that sometimes (maybe even most of the time) all you need is coffee, the sun, and a book.

You’ve got the makings of a perfect day.