I used to hate Starbucks. It represented the mass marketing and commercialization of America, I thought, and the fact that you could find one on every corner both annoyed and almost sickened me. It was chains like this that were putting Mom & Pop stores out of businesses all over the country, and I, for one, prefer a Mom & Pop store.

So you’ll understand the antipathy I feel about the fact that Starbucks has to be my saviour today.

I’m in New York. Minus an hour-long taxi from the airport (in which I was doing quiet lamaze-esque breathing as not to throw up from car-sickness), it’s a pretty day, and I arrived unscathed in the Big Apple. Because of some logistical difficulties that I don’t care to go into at this time, I couldn’t work from our fabulous Times Square office; and yet I had to get work done. Oh, the quandary.

Starbucks then became the solution, much to my dismay. Their T-Mobile HotSpot Wireless Network offered me the invaluable resource I needed to accomplish all I need to. Damnit.

To add insult to injury, I forgot my coat – the only warm item of clothing that I had planned to bring – in the car. The car that is now sitting in the now-$9-a-day rip-off Park-n-Ride. In Atlanta.

Damnit Damnit Damnit. I’m not only gonna be a vagabond, I’m gonna be a COLD vagabond at that.

So now, not only do I have to find a cheap place to buy a coat or other warm poncho-like item, but I have to find a place CLOSE to a Starbucks, CLOSE to the place where I’m meeting my friend at 5, being as I have my luggage with me.

I consider myself a pretty damn good packer. Since I traveled more weekends than I was in Atlanta last year (!!), I can get 10-days worth of clothes for two climates AND a ball gown all in one airplane regulation-sized carry-on. I pack light. So for this trip – knowing that I was going to have some walking ahead of me – I upped the ante and took what I usually consider an overnight bag for the entire weekend, complete with two cocktail dresses, two pairs of heels, and sundry other items. And yet, it’s an interesting phenomenon: no matter how lightly you pack, after walking 5 blocks, back and forth to find a Gap, a Starbucks & our meeting place (amazingly all w/in a 4 block radius), “light” packing becomes “Oh my dear Lord my arm is going to fall off and this luggage-induced crick in my neck is going to require chiropractic care” packing which – trust me on this one – is not fun.

It must be karma – I worked at a Starbucks in Chapel Hill for four days (I had the 5am shift…I think 4 days is pretty commendable!) and now, when I needed one, I couldn’t find a Starbucks to save my life. 56th and 6th? THAT WOULD MEAN IT IS ON THE CORNER! Apparently not. I walked all three WRONG directions until I hit 5th, 57th, 55th and – after resting in the doorway of The American Cancer Society (I figured they help people with cancer and thus wouldn’t likely arrest me for loitering while I tried to call to find said Starbucks) – I tried the last direction. 1/2 way down 56th, there it was. The Starbucks. Where I’m currently sitting.

Amid a cacophony of emotion coming from the Russian girl in front of me – who alternates between screaming in her native tongue, crying, and banging her computer on the table – and the foam machine, it’s actually pretty calm in here. Charming even.

While it’s no Mom & Pop, I think I’ll reconsider about the evils of Starbucks. After all, they make one mean Chai Tea Soy-Milk Latte.