By Lauren Perlman, UGA '22
It seems quite unreal that we have spent over a year in quarantine battling this pandemic. While this time has brought varying hardships and periods of sadness, many people have used this time to try to better themselves and pursue their passions. For instance, work on one’s mental health, read more, eat less junk – the possibilities are endless.
Personally, I used this time to create a coffee blog – Watcha Brewin. My childhood best friend Cara and I were bored one day and decided to drive far out for a coffee shop adventure. Upon sitting outside and enjoying the weather (one of the few perks of summer quarantine), Cara suggested that we should explore coffee shops in and around our hometowns and review them on an Instagram page. She had this vision that it would become something, and my first gut reaction was to just laugh. I agreed, but did not think nearly anything of it.
Today, we have over 2,000 followers on our page. Both friends and family are constantly asking us for our reviews and inputs on local coffee shops both at home and here in Georgia. We constantly have brands reaching out for collaborations and fueling our coffee addiction. To say I am surprised is a huge understatement, but I feel so fortunate!
Cara and I are from a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and have been lifelong friends since elementary school. We attended the same Hebrew school and of course each other’s bat mitzvahs. Through combining our passion for coffee with our Jewish identity, it sparked my idea for February's event that I hosted with HillelUGA’s Greek Life Committee. While serving on the Greek Life Committee, my focus is to connect Jewish students across all of UGA’s Greek houses. As a member of a non-jewish sorority, I thought this was a great way for me to meet other Jewish students that were not in Jewish-affiliated Greek houses as well. We had an event titled “Catch Up with Caffeine,” which was a stop in/stay as long as you like event outside of Starbucks. While this event was designed to be small, our numbers exceeded our expectations: many students who had never been to a Hillel Event attended! My committee is hoping to make this a monthly event – along with other fun and creative events to come!
This goes to show that a quarantine hobby can turn into something so much more. My love for coffee with a childhood friend turned into a small, successful blog. That blog sparked my idea for a Hillel event, which achieved our goal of connecting Jewish students across our community! So the next time you have a “crazy” idea, go for it! And of course drink a cup of coffee to help get your idea out there.
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