I am a student from India in Vancouver. The coffee shop here was not likely a place to purchase coffee and I soon discovered. They are like little worlds. They are tiny spots of comfort and social existence, specially to the youth, such as myself. Chai or coffee at the local stalls in India was fast: drink, pay, leave. Every coffee shop in Vancouver is their second home. On streets, people in a hurry, a pleasantly warm light in the cafes makes it seem like going into a little safe haven. My coffee shops in Vancouver can be an ideal third place. They are in place between school or work and home. To Indian students who take a long ride to a cold distant city with their busy and busy family homes, cafes provide a feeling of community even though they do not have to talk to us. I recall this time that I happened to enter a small coffee shop close to Kitsilano following a rainy day. I was wet  and my jacket dripped. The smell of roasted coffee, the subdued jazz, individuals quietly working or reading served like a warm greeting. I ordered a latte and sat there by the window and observed the rain. One  more thing is that we can feel  relaxed in an urban environment that might seem depressing. That little experience taught me why these cafes are a life line to young adults. Cafés are very diverse. There are plain ones with plain wooden tables and there are also artistic ones with wall paintings on the walls. Small indies exist where local students drink chai or cappuccino and are writing an essay or doing a presentation. During off-weekends you can now find small groups of friends sitting in groups of three, some working on laptops, others on notebooks and sketches, and even single visitors with headphones staring out the window. Each cafe has its audience and ambiance. The barista in my favourite cafe close to the Commercial Drive now knows me by name. Not only coffee, but it is a feeling of belonging, and no one really knows me. It is not easy to be a young Indian adult in Vancouver. The cost of rent is high, apartments are small, we all share a place to live, the commute is long, and the deadlines will never end. A blessing in that life is to have a quiet place in society where you can sit and comfortably drink your coffee and feel like you are working. There are family and friends everywhere in India. In this case we create our own supports groups in cafes, libraries and social places. It is emotionally comforting just to sit and watch other people lead their lives, in a cafe. It is weirdly reassuring and serves to remind you of the fact that you are in a bigger world. Weather is also a major factor in Vancouver. The rainy days are lengthy and gloomy and entering a warm cafe seems to be like entering a sheltered home. It was a wet evening in November when I was sitting in a small cafe close to Downtown. I was sipping a hot chai latte as I observed the wet streets of neon lights. I noticed students who were studying to take exams, artists who were sketching and a young couple quietly talking. This attention, imagination and free conversation make cafes magical. One has the feeling that they are in a tiny, communal, invisible group. The other aspect that I observed is the integration of cafes into everyday life. Individuals frequent the same cafe on a daily basis. You get old faces, old fragrances, old habits. It is near ritualistic getting coffee, checking the mail, two hours of studying and leaving. Baristas are adopted as close friends and the cafe itself is a place of refuge to rest. It is unbelievable that a cup of coffee can bring sanity in an unstable life. The cafe culture in this country is not the same as that of home to Indian students. Coffee in India is primarily energy giving. Here it is part of a lifestyle. It provides emotional escape. The café helps where you can be yourself and at the same time be among other individuals. You may concentrate, take some rest, breathe, find friends, negotiate on projects, or just watch the rain outside. That is freedom that is not easily encountered in small apartments of the type that share the kitchen and roommates. The cafes in Vancouver facilitate creativity as well. Cafes are impromptu workstations that are used by students, musicians, young professionals. Dell is visible in cafes all over the city, laptops, headphones, notebooks, cameras, even musical instruments. Young adults continue to make, learn, and construct their future within small spaces of coffee shops. One day I observed a friend to edit a video as a part of a school project, and I observed someone to sketch a comic strip another one, and both of them were silently encouraging each other with the energy of the room. Multicultural interactions are also exhibited in cafes. Vancouver is diversified to the extent that we find native Canadians, Chinese immigrants, Indian students, and Europeans occupying the same space. I recall once in a cafe at Granville Street. I heard a crowd with Punjabi speakers and one with Japanese anime buyers. The air servies with varied languages, musical and ideas. It is like a smaller version of a United Nations. In my case, this multicultural experience is rewarding and I feel like I belong to a city of the world even out of my home. Concisely, Vancouver cafes are not purely coffee houses. They are emotional sanctuaries, social centers, creative places, and homes of the community. They educate young adults, particularly, immigrants such as me on how to move around the city, how to strike a balance between work and rest and how to feel belonging. They provide freedom, solace and belonging. They are silent spectators to our tribulations, little wins, and inspirations. They are a third home to Indian students in Vancouver, which feeds the body, mind and soul.