Finding Decaf (and Happiness) in Podgorica

If you’ve ever tried to find decaf coffee in Eastern Europe, you know it’s basically a scavenger hunt with no map. Montenegro is a place where coffee isn’t just a drink, it’s a ritual. The stronger, the better. So when my wife and I landed in Podgorica, the capital city, I didn’t have high hopes of finding anything labeled “decaf.”

But travel has a funny way of surprising you. We ended up wandering into one of the many cafes in the city, thinking coffee for me was off the table (I only ever drink decaf — I love the taste but not the caffeine buzz.) I decided to ask (half-jokingly) if they had decaf. The barista smiled, nodded, and said, “Of course.”

Mark Edgington drinking a cup of decaf coffee in Podgorica, Montenegro

Sitting there with the morning light spilling across the cobblestone and the sound of the city waking up, I felt something close to perfection. Maybe happiness really is just a cup of (decaf) coffee.

— Mark Edgington

This article also appears on Mark Edgington – Medium, where you can learn more about Mark Edgington’s ongoing work.