Anything food or drink that is consistently cheaper, lower in calories, and easier to make than its counterparts is beloved amongst college students. Whether we live on or off-campus, quick and easy is what we all want. The drink I am talking about is basically a miracle, which is why it’s so shocking that so many detest it.Â
The beverage here is black coffee. The no-frills, no dairy, steaming dark liquid you probably associate with your older relatives. Despite being so efficient in so many ways, it is incredibly rare amongst young people. We youngins fill our coffee-esque drinks with every sweetener possible. From “indulgent” flavor swirls to almond milk creamers, it would appear nobody under the age of 25 actually enjoys the taste of black coffee, despite our endless love for its side effects. So, why is this relevant? Well, it’s because this past summer, I made it a mission to enjoy black coffee. I have never been one who needed to mask the flavor of coffee to enjoy it–I tried coffee for the first time at eight and was instantly hooked. I have odd taste buds, but I felt myself enjoying the caramel swirls at Dunkin’ a little too much and wondered if it was possible to remove them altogether. Plus, I had run out of almond milk and didn’t feel like buying more. So I stopped…  for weeks my orders got much simpler and my coffee got much darker. I didn’t worry about having room left in my favorite mug anymore, and I got to drink more coffee in the morning. There was something almost empowering about saying “just black, please” at the coffee shop, almost as if I was declaring my independence.Â
With convenience, I developed a taste for it. It began to almost feel wrong to put milk or sugar in my coffee. Despite the various science that says coffee may or may not pollute your body, I felt like I was a pure coffee drinker. I had made it. Now? I am continuing to drink it black, but I am, admittedly, a sucker for fall flavors. Pumpkin spice and maple everything is everywhere, and all I want is every single bit of every single one of them. I try my best to resist, but I’m only human. Occasionally I fall prey to all of the lovely coffee-ness the world has to offer. Although, we sure have come a long way since milk and sugar.