After a hectic day, many of my friends stop at a bar, or get a roadie. Happy hour almost makes them look forward to a crazy day at work, just for an excuse to go unwind and blow steam.
But, for the most part I need time alone. A nice coffee shop is more my pace. I get to be around people, but I'm not expected to interact with them. Coffee is a unlikely choice for a beverage to unwind with, but it works. And, driving under the influence of caffeine isn't breaking any laws. It's nice to just sit quietly, reading or looking at social media. I prefer it if I can have my headphones in, though Epoch Coffee has nice music. The headphones enhance the feeling of personal space created by the anonymity of being in a room full of strangers. That doesn't make sense on paper.
"But," you tell me, "you could just go home and really BE alone. You could play your own music as loud or quietly as you want. You'd have all the personal space your cats would allow."
These are all true statements, but it's not the same. I like to be in a coffee shop (or a bar sometimes) by myself, but with other people around. It's borderline creepy, I understand. But, I'm quiet, I keep to myself and I'm mostly harmless. It's a little bit of winding down, then I can move on to the next thing.