The coffee machine hisses and spits out a stream of black liquid. The barista deftly drains every last drop into the plastic cup and slaps on the lid.

He calls out my name, smiling as if at a private joke, ‘Americano. For… a pita?’

I laugh, ‘Yes, Arpita :) ’

‘Yes.’ he says, ‘That’s what I said. A pita. You Turkish? You don’t look Turkish.’

I laugh again, ‘No I’m Indian born. But I’ve been living and working here for nearly 20 years.”

He nods dramatically ‘Ah.’

I take my coffee and make my way down the street towards the agency. Even though my freelance career has taken me all over London, from the big, shiny postcodes of Saatchi & Saatchi, Wunderman Thompson and McCann. To the more modest addresses of the smaller, boutique agencies. Every booking still feels new.

I’m a bit early today so I find an empty chair outside a café and look at the Boots store across the street. I think of the TikTok summer campaign I just did for them and scroll down my phone to see if it’s appeared on my feed yet.

A gaggle of girls, straggly from the hen party the night before, stumbles past me with smeared mascara and blistered feet. One of them raises a half-drunk bottle of Codorniu Cava towards me with a wink.

‘I did a TV campaign for that,’ I want to shout across the street. But I just raise my coffee cup to her with a smile.

A feeling of joy suddenly rises up from deep within me. From shampoos to ice creams, social to experiential, what a lovely long journey it’s been.

Looking at the time, I suddenly snap out of my reverie. ‘You have miles to go before you sleep, Arpita…’ I remind myself as I make my way to the new agency and ring their bell.

I wonder what exciting new brief waits for me here?