--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had already imagined how it would be…" description: "\"“I had already imagined how it would be next year. I'd be at Columbia, and Marcus would move to Manhattan, or maybe one of the outer boroughs. I would ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megan-mccafferty-1994_black-coffee_i-had-already-imagined-how-it-would-be-n_3225533.jpg" --- # I had already imagined how it would be next year. I'd be… ![“I had already imagined how it would be next year. I'd be at Columbia, and Marcus would move to Manhattan, or maybe one of the outer boroughs. I would study hard, and he would make money playing gigs at dingy bars. We'd spend countless hours going to clubs to see bands on the verge, touring obscure…” quote by Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megan-mccafferty-1994_black-coffee_i-had-already-imagined-how-it-would-be-n_3225533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megan-mccafferty-1994_black-coffee_i-had-already-imagined-how-it-would-be-n_3225533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megan-mccafferty-1994_black-coffee_i-had-already-imagined-how-it-would-be-n_3225533.jpg) > ““I had already imagined how it would be next year. I'd be at Columbia, and Marcus would move to Manhattan, or maybe one of the outer boroughs. I would study hard, and he would make money playing gigs at dingy bars. We'd spend countless hours going to clubs to see bands on the verge, touring obscure art exhibits, and sipping pot after pot of black coffee at hole-in-the-wall cafes. Many more hours would be spent lounging under the covers. We would never run out of witty and fascinating things to say to each other. Eventually, he'd apply to Columbia, and we'd be the sort of well-educated, cosmopolitan couple that confuse the suburbumpkins who never leave Pineville.”” [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator romanticizes a youthful, artistic life with a partner, envisioning future success and shared cultural experiences. **In simple terms:** Dreaming of a creative, shared future with a lover. Key Takeaway Cultivate shared goals and artistic passions. Themes love creativity future education urban life Mood hopeful nostalgic Type literary personal When to use this quote - college planning - artistic collaborations - travel - career development Key Concepts romanticism coming of age urban sociology Questions to Reflect On - What steps can turn shared dreams into reality? - How to balance personal growth with partnership? A Different Perspective Idealized visions may clash with reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apply Columbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apply-columbia-6080671/) [Black coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-coffee/) [Columbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columbia/) [Columbia Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columbia-marcus-6080669/) [Marcus Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marcus-manhattan-6080670/) [Megan-mccafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/megan-mccafferty-120222/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Next year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-year/) [Second-helpings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-helpings-165465/) [Study Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study-hard/) [Year Columbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-columbia-830986/) ## Related quotes > [“What is it about him that makes you, like, totally lose your shit?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/what-is-it-about-him-that-makes-you-like-totally-lose-your-shit/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Oh, yeah,' she said. 'He likes your brain, J.D., but he ain't attracted to you, which is a cryin' shame, if you don't mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/oh-yeah-she-said-he-likes-your-brain-j-d-but-he-ain-t-attracted-to/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Because I've learned that you can't control what other people are going to think about you. The best you can do in life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/because-i-ve-learned-that-you-can-t-control-what-other-people-are/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“I do believe the shotguns helped them accept this reality sooner than they might have otherwise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-do-believe-the-shotguns-helped-them-accept-this-reality-sooner-than/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“The stories teach them valuable life lessons. That good things happen to bad people. That it’s possible to make a bad situation even worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/the-stories-teach-them-valuable-life-lessons-that-good-things-happen/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Right now I feel guilty to be alive. Why? Because I’m wasting it. I’ve been given this life and all I do is mope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/right-now-i-feel-guilty-to-be-alive-why-because-i-m-wasting-it-i-ve/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [I did a year at Columbia, and I just kind of floundered. Maybe it wasn't the right place for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothee-chalamet/i-did-a-year-at-columbia-and-i-just-kind-of-floundered-maybe-it-wasn/) [Timothee Chalamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothee-chalamet/) > [My first two years, with Metro, were quite unproductive. Then I had a year at Columbia that was a complete disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-blake/my-first-two-years-with-metro-were-quite-unproductive-then-i-had-a/) [Amanda Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-blake/) > [“This is exactly the sort of thing that makes traveling wonderful for me, the reason I defied everyone. The two of us together like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-zadoorian/this-is-exactly-the-sort-of-thing-that-makes-traveling-wonderful-for/) [Michael Zadoorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-zadoorian/) ## More by Megan McCafferty > [As much as I don't care about those things, I think it's human nature to not want to feel totally insignificant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/as-much-as-i-don-t-care-about-those-things-i-think-it-s-human-nature/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“I almost can’t believe I’m going to make myself vulnerable to him again. But what is love but the most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-almost-can-t-believe-i-m-going-to-make-myself-vulnerable-to-him/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [I believe that what we get out of life is what we've set ourselves up to get, so there's no such thing as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-believe-that-what-we-get-out-of-life-is-what-we-ve-set-ourselves-up/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [It's just Jessica and Marcus, oxymoronically alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/it-s-just-jessica-and-marcus-oxymoronically-alone-together/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [When you say too much about anything important, it always ends up sounding more trivial than it is. Words trash it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/when-you-say-too-much-about-anything-important-it-always-ends-up/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Don't talk to strangers. Don't do drugs. Don't smoke. Don't drink and drive. Don't have sex. Wear a condom. Wear sunblock. Wear a seat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/don-t-talk-to-strangers-don-t-do-drugs-don-t-smoke-don-t-drink-and/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“We help others only as much as they let us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/we-help-others-only-as-much-as-they-let-us/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [Gone for a while Hoping, always, to return If you will let me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/gone-for-a-while-hoping-always-to-return-if-you-will-let-me/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [You, yes, you, linger inside my heart The same you who stopped us before we could start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/you-yes-you-linger-inside-my-heart-the-same-you-who-stopped-us-before/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [I used to think that I wouldn't change anything from my past, because doing so would inevitably affect who I am now. But considering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-used-to-think-that-i-wouldn-t-change-anything-from-my-past-because/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [The higher my GPA gets the more I realize high school is useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/the-higher-my-gpa-gets-the-more-i-realize-high-school-is-useless/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [I know it makes sense for me and him to just break up now and just live our seperate lives and not have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-know-it-makes-sense-for-me-and-him-to-just-break-up-now-and-just/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Because I've learned that you can't control what other people are going to think about you. The best you can do in life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/because-i-ve-learned-that-you-can-t-control-what-other-people-are/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [furious flutter awakened hummingbird heart hello hello love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/furious-flutter-awakened-hummingbird-heart-hello-hello-love/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [And yet I know I am too young, that we're too young, for me to live my life only as it relates to you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/and-yet-i-know-i-am-too-young-that-we-re-too-young-for-me-to-live-my/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) [Explore all 193 Megan McCafferty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) ## More Black coffee quotes > [For four to six months at a time, I would barely eat. I lived on a diet of Melba toast, carrots, and black coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/for-four-to-six-months-at-a-time-i-would-barely-eat-i-lived-on-a-diet/) [Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/) > [Black coffee must be strong and very hot; if strong coffee does not agree with you, do not drink black coffee. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/black-coffee-must-be-strong-and-very-hot-if-strong-coffee-does-not/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [“When Balzac was working, his writing schedule was brutal: He ate a light dinner at 6:00 P.M., then went to bed. At 1:00 A.M.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-currey/when-balzac-was-working-his-writing-schedule-was-brutal-he-ate-a/) [Mason Currey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-currey/) > [In 'Black Coffee' I am not the celluloid avatar of 'Meghe Dhaka Tara' director any more. How can you portray similar characters in two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saswata-chatterjee/in-black-coffee-i-am-not-the-celluloid-avatar-of-meghe-dhaka-tara/) [Saswata Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saswata-chatterjee/) > [“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/good-communication-is-as-stimulating-as-black-coffee/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [“Choice- Judgement. Black coffee acid on an empty stomach. Perception. Cool, clear water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keelie-breanna/choice-judgement-black-coffee-acid-on-an-empty-stomach-perception/) [Keelie Breanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keelie-breanna/) > [I like to have straight-up black coffee, but when you get it, sometimes you'll burn your tongue, or it spills on your hands, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-minhaj/i-like-to-have-straight-up-black-coffee-but-when-you-get-it-sometimes/) [Hasan Minhaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-minhaj/) > [“Come on, Will,” Holly said as she trailed after him into the kitchen. “You know this is a good plan.” “You know it is,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-kennedy/come-on-will-holly-said-as-she-trailed-after-him-into-the-kitchen-you/) [Elle Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-kennedy/) > [“When you do drugs, you count like a chemist: The numbers are wild, the formulas are easy. Then, when you try to get clean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/when-you-do-drugs-you-count-like-a-chemist-the-numbers-are-wild-the/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“They sat at a metal table covered by stained and cracked Formica laminate. A huge woman with shoulder-length braids pranced over. Baldwin couldn’t believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/they-sat-at-a-metal-table-covered-by-stained-and-cracked-formica/) [J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/) > [No matter how much strong black coffee we drink, almost any after- dinner speech will counteract it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/no-matter-how-much-strong-black-coffee-we-drink-almost-any-after/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [“Coffee, then. Black.” Adrian scratches his hair under the cap. “So . . . espresso?” “No. Coffee.” Adrian transfers his scratching from hair to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/coffee-then-black-adrian-scratches-his-hair-under-the-cap-so-espresso/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [I go "I just want a cup of black coffee." She goes "Do you want to try a biscotti? They're from Italy and they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-engvall/i-go-i-just-want-a-cup-of-black-coffee-she-goes-do-you-want-to-try-a/) [Bill Engvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-engvall/) > [“In chili’s hand were his car keys, Ray-bans and Marlboros, without which he wouldn't leave his bathroom. Chili drank only black coffee and neat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/in-chili-s-hand-were-his-car-keys-ray-bans-and-marlboros-without/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [Diet-wise, I practice intermittent fasting, keeping me alert, as the body is using up its energy stores. It keeps my diet in check, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jax-jones/diet-wise-i-practice-intermittent-fasting-keeping-me-alert-as-the/) [Jax Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jax-jones/) [Browse all 71 Black coffee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-coffee/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I had already imagined how it would be next year. I'd be at Columbia, and Marcus would move to Manhattan, or maybe one of the outer boroughs. I would study hard, and he would make money playing gigs at dingy bars. We'd spend countless hours going to clubs to see bands on the verge, touring obscure art exhibits, and sipping pot after pot of black coffee at hole-in-the-wall cafes. Many more hours would be spent lounging under the covers. We would never run out of witty and fascinating things to say to each other. 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