Last week, on a sunny Thursday afternoon, I awoke from an hour-long nap and went on my way to my 1:10 class. I decided to grab a coffee from Wiggins, as I do before every afternoon class, since I needed a little pick-me-up. I ordered my favorite drink, a large iced dirty chai (for those of you who don’t know, it’s a chai latte with a shot of espresso). As I walked out of Wiggins and into class, a guy says to me in a judgemental tone, “Do you always have a coffee in this class?” I responded, “Yes. Yes I do. I need it to keep me awake for class.” He then goes on to say, “Are you sure you don’t have an addiction to caffeine?” I reply, “Probably. I need at least two cups of coffee a day to function.” The conversation continues as he goes on to ask me about my love for coffee.
Maybe it’s because I’m from Seattle, the coffee capital of the world and home of Starbucks, or maybe it’s because I came from a family who thrives on caffeine. I truly do not know how I became obsessed with coffee. As a child, I remember my grandpa giving me small sips of his coffee in the morning. I loved the combination of bitter and sweet flavors dancing on my tongue as well as the fact that I would be bouncing off the walls later. As I grew older, my mom started giving me coffees that were mostly milk (like a latte) that I would have everyday before I went to school. By the time I was in seventh grade, I was drinking coffee, or any other caffeinated drink, on a regular basis.
Many adults wondered why I started drinking coffee at a young age. Usually, they were shocked to find out that a seventh grader was allowed to drink coffee. My parents were surprised when they found out that some other parents did not allow their kids to drink coffee. My mom was always a big coffee drinker so she had no problem with me drinking coffee during any time of the day, even if that meant that I would be hyper late at night.
As I entered high school and the work load increased, so did my intake of coffee and other caffeinated drinks. It got to the point where my large white Starbucks travel mug became a part of my daily outfit. By my junior year, I could not go the day without having at least two cups of a caffeinated drink. You may think “Oh, how bad could that be?” Well, it turns out that those two cups a day make a significant impact on how I function throughout the day.
During May of my senior year, I decided it would be a good idea to take a one week break from caffeine. It was not a good idea. I found myself more tired than usual and gradually becoming more and more exhausted as the week went on. Even with seven hours of sleep every night and exercise, I was still unable to function as I do on a regular basis. I had friends tell me I looked like “living death” or a “walking hangover.” This was when I realized, I do have a small obsession with caffeine. Without it, I am unable to function and everyone around me is at risk of witnessing my grouchy mood swings.
Overall, I think my love for coffee stems greatly from the Seattle culture. If you lived in Seattle and did not like coffee, you were close to being publicly shunned. While many outsiders from Seattle think we only like Starbucks, it’s not true. There are many people who love coffee but hate Starbucks (not me though!). This is only because there are so many superior coffee shops in the city. For those who like Starbucks, I am fully convinced that Starbucks in Seattle tastes different and better than other Starbucks’ in other states.
Coffee plays a significant role in my life. It cheers me up when I’m sad, wakes me up when I’m tired, and tastes amazing no matter what mood I’m in. So, I encourage everyone: even if you don’t like coffee, go to Seattle and try any of the coffeeshops in the city (Stumptown Coffee is my favorite) and I guarantee your life will change for the better. Who cares what that one guy from your Thursday afternoon class says about your caffeine intake, own it! I love coffee a-latte (punny right?!) and no one can destroy that thought.
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Image credits: Pinimg, Lena Mazel