cars and coffee.

Badass Nissan Patrol at a badass coffee shop.

Ahhh… What’s a better combination than Cars and Coffee? Damn right, nothing. Growing up as an automotive enthusiast I vowed to do whatever it took to make enough money to participate and indulge in the hobby, nothing else mattered. I’ve encompassed fond memories from my youth going to the local “Cars and Coffee” car show with my peers to admire and gain inspiration for what one day could be mine.

Fast forward years later I found myself in Abu Dhabi on a business trip. The United Arab Emirates continues to astound me but what else should I expect from an oil rich nation? Roughly 5 years prior to this trip I was deployed to an Airbase on the outskirts of this very city. I was a low ranking, disgruntled airman who at the time was supporting a unique mission set for the United States Air Force but dreamed of doing so much more for my country. Fast forward to now I reflect on my upbringing in the military and how grateful I am for the experiences I had. If it wasn’t for that deployment I wouldn’t have been exposed to overseas Defense Contractors who I looked up to and made it a goal to become just so I can afford those fancy cars I longed for as a kid. As a result, I recently purchased one of my childhood dream cars. More to follow on that…

During some downtime on this trip I explored the city and discovered this coffee shop outside the bustling Yas Mall shopping center. Coolest cafe I've ever seen. Later that evening I went back to my hotel room and had an Eggbun burger with fries and a Coke while ruminating on life events and accomplishments leading up to this point. My night couldn't get any better than that. Chase your dreams. If you don’t have any? Well… make some.