One reason I fell in love with New York City and eventually decided to move here was what the city can tell you just from wandering around its streets. When visiting and then in my first year of living in the city, I would often pick a random neighborhood, grab my favorite lens, and just wander for the day. I was amazed at how much I could delve into one spot, and how little I’d actually uncovered.

As a person, it made me realize how much this city had to offer in terms of experience. And as a photographer, I was beyond excited by the stories that were waiting to be told behind every corner.

A few years later, there are places I can’t stop myself from coming back to — spots that keep revealing new layers with every visit.

For most of us, coffee exists in that liminal space between necessity and ritual—the familiar warmth of a morning cup, a quick jolt of caffeine on the go, or perhaps a moment of quiet reflection. We rarely pause to consider the journey those beans take before they transform into the complex elixir in our cups. But deep in the mountains of Puerto Rico, I discovered the profound story behind this seemingly simple beverage—a narrative of ecology, resilience, and human connection that forever changed my relationship with coffee.