There’s a crisp in the morning air.

Fall is just around the corner here in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I’m on a mission.

As things cool off and the season changes, I’m on a mission to find the best cozy fall coffee drinks… everything pumpkin of course but also unconventional fall flavors.

In my google searches I’m seeing marshmallow lattes and golden graham chai and butterscotch options around town. Fig?! I’m also seeing a place that has fig-flavored drinks. Why not, let’s try it!!

But to kick off the project, to ease into it, a drink I know I’ll love: pumpkin spice. And today’s version has a bit more spice than usual!

Why do this?

Why even write about it?

Because as someone who struggles with seasonal depression, I know that longer nights and cloudier days are just around the corner. And this year I’m romanticizing my life by:

Getting out of the house for fun little adventures
Trying new local spots and instead of ordering the same damn drink every time, I’m mixing it up
Getting cozy, slowing down, sitting at the coffee shop without getting my phone out of my pocket, and just letting my brain wander
Making a weekly routine of it and bringing my notebook for some creative journaling and daydreaming time

Today was the first stop on my Project Cozy mission, and I went to Alpha Coffee’s Big Cottonwood Canyon location.

And yes, okay, I played it a little safe with my drink order (oat milk pumpkin spice latte, half sweet)… but we’re kicking off this coffee shop tour with something I know I’ll love.

Because as a highly sensitive person, sometimes it’s the best thing you can do to let yourself have something you know you’ll love.

And this project is all about balancing what’s familiar, cozy, and comforting with new, fun little adventures.

I order the spiced pumpkin drink and as I’m waiting in line, I notice a graphic on their TV talking about the difference between the white pumpkin and spiced pumpkin drinks. I see that there are little chili peppers next to the spiced drink. My mind does a flip… oh sh*t! Did I mess up? Is this one gonna be tooooo spicy?

Are they putting cayenne pepper in my drink?

I’m not a big spicy food person so I’m a little worried…

But I wait it out, watch the cute dog in line next to me, and remind myself to trust.

And when the drink comes, and I go to take my first sip, whew, perfection! I love it.

As I’m sipping this cozy fall drink, it’s just the perfect spice mix. Warming. Cozy. Adds a little heat to the back of your throat, wakes you up a little.

Edgy with some kick, and that fits perfectly with the Alpha Coffee vibe. I’m a sucker for their skull logo and the badass vibes and even though it’s a little bit of a wait when you come here, it’s worth it. There’s a reason this place is so popular.