RHYTHMS OF A NEW HOME

A SEASONED TRAVELLER, ONE I admire greatly, once told me: "If you want to truly study a new place, find a popular café. Sit there. Watch the comings and goings."

- NITIN CHAUDHARY

Today, I am sitting at one in Denton, Texas—a small town where, on this Easter Sunday, the streets are almost deserted. The few cars that pass seem to move with intent. The town feels sealed shut. I know no one here. That's what brought me to this café—West Oak Coffee Bar, a place said to be popular with students and, occasionally, their visiting parents.

The head barista catches my attention. Long waist-length hair, a rough stubble, a faded cap perched stubbornly on his head—as if the world had spun ahead and he had chosen to stay behind in a version he liked better. When not serving customers, he is pouring buckets of water into cloth-lined tubs, perhaps to prepare a batch of cold brew. His movements are unhurried and ritualistic.