--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And so taking the long way home through…" description: "\"And so taking the long way home through the market I slow my pace down. It doesn't come naturally. My legs are programmed to trot briskly and my arms t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/alexandra-potter-9904_air_and-so-taking-the-long-way-home-through_404043.jpg" --- # And so taking the long way home through the market I slow… ![“And so taking the long way home through the market I slow my pace down. It doesn't come naturally. My legs are programmed to trot briskly and my arms to pump up and down like pistons, but I force myself to stroll past the stalls and pavement cafes. To enjoy just being somewhere, rather than…” quote by Alexandra Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/alexandra-potter-9904_air_and-so-taking-the-long-way-home-through_404043.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/alexandra-potter-9904_air_and-so-taking-the-long-way-home-through_404043.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/alexandra-potter-9904_air_and-so-taking-the-long-way-home-through_404043.jpg) > “And so taking the long way home through the market I slow my pace down. It doesn't come naturally. My legs are programmed to trot briskly and my arms to pump up and down like pistons, but I force myself to stroll past the stalls and pavement cafes. To enjoy just being somewhere, rather than rushing from somewhere, to somewhere. Inhaling deep lungfuls of air, instead of my usual shallow breaths. I take a moment to just stop and look around me. And smile to myself. For the first time in a long time, I can, quite literally, smell the coffee.” [Alexandra Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-potter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker deliberately slows down to savor ordinary moments, countering habitual rush, and finds joy in simple sensory experiences. **In simple terms:** Slowing down lets you appreciate everyday life. Key Takeaway Practice mindful pauses daily. Themes mindfulness presence joy Mood calm reflective Type poetic personal insight When to use this quote - city walk - coffee shop - break from work - daily routine Key Concepts slow living sensory awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate pauses into a busy day? - What simple pleasure could you notice now? A Different Perspective Hard to maintain in fast-paced environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) [Cafes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cafes/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Enjoy life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-life/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Seize the day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seize-the-day/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Stroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stroll/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“From the kitchen was now issuing the smell of freshly brewed coffee and I heard Frida rumbling about. 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Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-sin/) > [Wake up and smell the coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [The smell of coffee cooking was a reason for growing up, because children were never allowed to have it and nothing haunted the nostrils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-lewis/the-smell-of-coffee-cooking-was-a-reason-for-growing-up-because/) [Edna Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-lewis/) > [“But what's important is that you enjoy and appreciate every day, and that's something you can accomplish by just living in the moment. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/but-what-s-important-is-that-you-enjoy-and-appreciate-every-day-and/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [I'm pretty sure the secret to world peace is hidden somewhere in the smell of coffee and baked sweets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-pretty-sure-the-secret-to-world-peace-is-hidden-somewhere-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Smell the roses. Smell the coffee. Whatever it is that makes you happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/smell-the-roses-smell-the-coffee-whatever-it-is-that-makes-you-happy/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it's hard to go back to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/once-you-wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee-it-s-hard-to-go-back-to-sleep/) [Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/) > [“I put the coffee and Sambuca up to my nose. The licorice didn’t smell strong enough against the smell of the coffee so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/i-put-the-coffee-and-sambuca-up-to-my-nose-the-licorice-didn-t-smell/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“The smell of coffee was enough to wake up my neighbors. In a display of gratitude, they complained about my music being too loud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-smell-of-coffee-was-enough-to-wake-up-my-neighbors-in-a-display/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [There is nothing better than the smell of coffee in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-better-than-the-smell-of-coffee-in-the-morning/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Come on, don't you ever stop and smell the coffee?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/come-on-don-t-you-ever-stop-and-smell-the-coffee/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing is quite as intoxicating as the smell of bacon frying in the morning, save perhaps the smell of coffee brewing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-beard/nothing-is-quite-as-intoxicating-as-the-smell-of-bacon-frying-in-the/) [James Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-beard/) > [Well, let me tell you, any conservative that's unhappy with George Bush warms my heart, in any way that they can wake up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/well-let-me-tell-you-any-conservative-that-s-unhappy-with-george-bush/) [Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/) ## More by Alexandra Potter > [“It was the feeling she'd had when Sam had first kissed her in the pub. 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But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. 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