Milkshake Mornings: Cosmic Alarm Clock of Awakening
This morning, a rhythm emerged—not just a song, but a portal of memory. The collaborative Milkshake remix by Alex Wann and Kelis became more than music; it was a spiritual soundtrack, a vibrational invitation to consciousness.
Roadmaps of Memory
Long before this birthday, I’d trace the golden curves of Pacific Coast Highway, riding shotgun with my family, windows down, wind whipping through my hair. Pepperdine would rise like a dream on the hills—my aunt’s world, a glimpse of potential futures during those elementary school road trips. Those drives were pilgrimages of possibility, each mile a whispered promise of who I might become.
Calabasas Communion
Turning eighteen isn’t just a number—it’s a cosmic wink from the universe. And what better place to mark this transition than a classic SoCal spot, where chili cheese fries meet spiritual awakening? The local diner in Calabasas became my temple, a formica-and-vinyl sanctuary where childhood and adulthood do this beautiful, messy dance.
“Can you feel it? That gentle yet persistent nudge urging you to look beyond the veil of everyday existence?”
My milkshake arrived—vanilla, classic, loaded with whipped cream like clouds of potential. Each sip was a meditation, a remembrance of the divine technology within me. I was simultaneously eighteen and infinite, bounded by human experience yet connected to something far more expansive.
Paradox of Becoming
In this moment, surrounded by the soft buzz of fluorescent lights and the gentle clinking of diner silverware, I understood the sacred disruption of growing up. These are not merely years passing, but a cosmic unfolding. The comfortable limitations I had constructed around my life suddenly felt like prison walls rather than protection.
Embracing the Multiplicity of Self
I am:
The kid who traced PCH with wonder
The emerging adult sensing responsibility
A vital tributary flowing into the river of collective consciousness
Each bite of chili cheese fries, each sip of that milkshake was a prayer of gratitude—for innocence, for potential, for the magnificent complexity of human experience. True spirituality isn’t an escape from life but a deeper immersion into its miraculous unfolding.
Invitation to Presence
To my fellow travelers on this journey, hear this: Your eighteenth year is not a destination, but an invitation. An invitation to:
Remember who you truly are
Embrace both vulnerability and strength
Recognize the Divine spark within
“We came for transformation—our own and that of the collective. We came to remember, to heal, to create.”
As the last drops of milkshake disappeared and the last fry cooled, I understood—this moment was never just about turning eighteen. It was about awakening to the profound truth that connects us all—a cosmic thread weaving through the fabric of our seemingly separate lives.
With profound love and reverence for your journey,
Mitchell Royel
Fellow Traveler