The Golden Thread: A café, a surfer, and an insight I didn’t see coming

Hi

This week’s Golden Thread is about coffee… but really, it’s about connection.

We recently met Michael Powell, the co-founder of Drift—one of our favorite coffee shops in North Carolina. We’ve slowly made our way through almost all 12 of their locations, from their original spot in Ocean Isle to their cafés in Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Raleigh, and now Durham.

Drift has quietly woven itself into the tapestry of our lives.

When Kalyra asked me for a coffee shop recommendation near UNCW to go with her new friends, Drift was the first name out of my mouth. A few days later, photos popped up of her laughing with her friends over lattes—and my heart could have burst.

When my parents visited, we took them to Drift in Raleigh… then later to Drift in Wilmington. They loved both, of course.

But I only recently understood why I’m so drawn to Drift—beyond the great coffee, the wholesome food, and those breezy coastal vibes.

It feels like walking into a café back home in Australia.

I’ve said it so many times, usually to Craig as we sip our flat whites, “Drift is the closest thing to an Aussie café here.” But I never understood the deeper reason why until we met Michael at their newest opening in RTP.

He shared his story.

A former professional surfer who spent time in Australia, surfing the same breaks woven through our own life memories—Newcastle, our young-adult playground… Snapper Rocks, where I’ve seen whales cruise across the point breaks with my own eyes… and Burleigh Point, where we lived before moving back to the US, drinking coffee on the headland as the sun rose over the Pacific. If we ever moved back to Australia, Burleigh is where we’d go. (I miss it just writing about it now)

As he talked, I felt this warm click of recognition.

Michael told us he fell in love with Australian café culture during those years—

And suddenly it made perfect sense.

Drift isn’t just a “coffee shop.” It’s a space where people actually talk. I’ve rarely seen anyone hidden behind headphones tapping away at a laptop. Instead, it’s filled with conversations, lingering energy, and people meeting each other in real life. Just like home.

Australian café culture is built around the ritual of meeting over coffee—not for the hit, but for the presence. The pausing. The moment of savoring. And the wholesome food—smashed avo, acai bowls, grain bowls—well, that just seals the deal.

Nothing makes me happier than being in spaces like this. But what makes me even happier is seeing my two homes—Australia and Raleigh—braid together in such a natural, heart-alighting way.

And there’s something else humming underneath this story: the power of travel.

Travel doesn’t just expand your world; it reshapes you. 

That’s what Drift has done.

And, in many ways, that’s what I learned back in 2010, in the middle of financial struggle and far from the life of freedom we wanted. Deep introspection taught me an unexpected truth:

That realization is what led me to start the travel blog. And look where that journey took us.

Threads connect.
Stories ripple.

And sometimes a simple cup of coffee reminds you exactly who you are, where you’ve been, and what you’re here to offer the world.

Caroline

P.S. Last week I shared the Carolina in my Mind story. Well, the singer from the duo I mentioned messaged me and said the last song he played was “Carolina in my Mind” but we had just left. I told him probably good thing as I would have burst into tears for sure!!

Thread to Reflect On

Where in your life do you feel drawn to something without fully understanding the reason?

Is there a place, a person, a ritual, a hobby, a moment you keep returning to?

Before you explain it away…

What if it’s a thread from a past experience tugging you toward something important now?

• What spaces make you feel instantly at ease?

• What places remind you of a version of yourself you want to return to?

• What moments feel like they belong to another “home” in your story?

• And what might those clues be whispering to you?

Follow the pull.
Let it show you the deeper belonging beneath it.

Other loves this week:

• Surprise Kalyra visit: Sick of dorm life, Kalyra unexpectedly arrived home last night for a 2-night break! Yay. Just in time for putting up the Christmas tree today. And my heart soared when she said she’s considering a Spring break study abroad in Venice!!

• Listening: Psychic Medium Laura Lynne Jackson: 3 signs from the Universe you've been missing - Jay Shetty Podcast

• Insight: “Time is an illusion. Energy is truth”