Nermin took a whirlwind trip to Egypt to visit one of the studio’s first clients. Travel with us as she shows us Cairo up close—the faces, sights, and sounds that left her breathless, and breathed new possibilities into the future.

"Be where your feet are," my spiritual teachers tell me. Have you ever travelled somewhere for three days and left with a lifetime of core memories? In Cairo, the city of a thousand minarets, I experienced what it means to be truly present with a people and place. What a gift that trip was. What a teacher.

Everything always happens in its perfect, divine timing.

In the wintry depths of 2021, before Field of Practice even had a name, Kristin and I took a call from our cold Chicago homes with two Cairene brothers, Ahmed and Omar, old friends of mine. The two of them can warm up any room, even from oceans away. They have big ideas and even bigger hearts, not to mention keen eyes for excellence in all things. Especially good coffee, which, at the time, was hard to find in Cairo.

The city, they told us, was desperate for an alternative to Starbucks. The brothers meant to quench that thirst. They were cooking up a scheme to bring elevated coffee, crafted with care, to Cairo. They would travel the world and befriend its best farmers. They would tend to the entire process, from farm to cup, with one of them overseeing the roastery and the other running the cafe. And so Cairo Coffee Collective and Specialty Būn were born.

Both businesses held in their hearts a mighty meaningful intention: to reclaim the qahwa tradition in Cairo, which dates back to the 13th and 15th centuries of Southern Arabia. They had the connections to make it happen. They wanted us to help bring their vision to life.

From 6,000 miles away, we embarked on a collaborative creative journey to craft what has become a beloved family of coffee brands in Cairo that has brought both a state-of-the-art roasting facility and a bustling cafe to the city. As we wrapped up our work back in 2021, we promised we’d one day visit what the brothers had built, so we could celebrate together.

That's the thing about setting an intention. As you speak the prayer, it’ already on its way to being answered.

In December 2024, my son and I boarded a plane to Cairo. This trip had been four years in the making. It was worth all the patience and dreams.

DAY ONE: COFFEE IS COMMUNITY

We arrived in the late morning. I was thrilled my son wanted to join me—my parents had taken me to Cairo as a child. It felt special to return with him by my side, even for a short trip. Mush hatt-nami (you will not sleep), our airport pick-up driver so endearingly told us when I mentioned we had only three days in the city. Spoiler: he was not wrong.

We're not lovers of "the grind" over here in the field. But some days, some places invite us to stretch our physical capacities, to expand our spiritual dimensions.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep.

— Rumi

Our first stop was Cairo Coffee Collective HQ, where the beans get roasted and tasted. Each roaster in the three-story facility is intentionally and lovingly named—Aziza, a small and mighty roaster named for Ahmed’s eldest daughter, Yaqouta for a handsome, ruby roaster with brass details. And then there's Barakah (Arabic for blessing), the mother mill and the largest of them all.

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.

— Confucius

Ali, one of CCC’s head baristas, was our host for the day. He served us three smooth brews of the highest calibre, with a hint of chocolate and a long, soothing finish. Three cups of joe in a row is arguably too much caffeine for an amateur like me, but as the Arabs say: it's bad Adab (etiquette) to refuse a generous gift.

As we toured the space, Ali and Omar shared joyful stories of their farmer friends in Ethiopia. We learned about the alchemy behind blends like Sultan Qalawun and Bona. We spoke of our collective ancestral wisdom as inherited generational wealth. We shared belly laughs, held space for grief, and sat in comforting stillness. We filled each others’ cups.

Our next step was Specialty Būn, a charming 400-square foot cafe, bursting with vitality and love, where a sign in the window reads: Coffee is relationships. We’d seen the cafe’s community grow on Instagram, but to see it firsthand? It felt like a warm embrace. Since opening, it has become a home for deep connections and heart-filling conversation. Shout out to the regulars who welcomed us with open arms, an eclectic group of Cairene shakers, film producers, photographers, runners, artists, chefs, and changemakers: Menna, Shady, Dibo, Sondos, Khaled, Nora, Sally, and Zeina.

DAY TWO: SITE, SOUNDS, AND STRAY CATS

We spent our second day walking through beautiful, historical Cairo, starting with prayer at the Sultan Hassan Mosque, built in the 14th century during the Bahri Mamluk period. Such serenity washed over us as we stepped into its vast, open air facade. Long lanterns hung high from ceilings adorned by gorgeous calligraphic engravings. Stacks of books sat neatly in the corner, for the spiritually curious. Stray cats trotted about as if joining in prayer, in their own right.

And my favorite part: the undeniable feeling that I was precisely, for once, where my feet were.

With lifted spirits, we continued our path, stopping wherever our hearts pulled us, like Sultan Qalawun Complex—part Madrasa, part mental health institute, known for the healing waters that stream through its corridors. We passed through Souk Khan Al Khaleeli and Al Azhar, Egypt's oldest degree-granting university, renowned for Islamic theology. And a mere 23k+ steps later, we broke bread at Al-Rifaie, a local-favorite kebab joint not for the faint of heart. We had kofta for days, and left with bellies and hearts equally full.

DAY THREE: FUTURECASTING AMONG THE SPHYNX

Even the locals agreed—the sight of the Giza pyramids never gets old. We stood there in our small human bodies against the sheer magnitude of these miraculous testaments to the unbreakable spirit of the Egyptians. We marveled at the Sphynx. We did all the poses. We took deep breaths, filling our lungs, and set intentions to create more beauty together. We sent a little prayer, kissed the Egyptian sky, and whizzed through Cairo traffic for one final wholesome dinner at the brothers' family home.

After boarding the plane back home, my son and I finally laid down our heads. We inhaled all the love, and exhaled unending gratitude.