My addiction to caffeine

ML sent me this earlier last month and it made me laugh b/c it's practically the story of my life.

I, too, didn't understand the appeal of coffee as a kid. But my dad has a cup every morning so naturally, I wanted to like it.

Coffee candy: I think I first started liking coffee after having a bag full of coffee flavored Asian candies. This was around when I was 11.

Drip coffee: By the time I moved to New Jersey at the age of 15, I started really liking coffee -- lots of sugar, lots of milk. Mainly because after school, I'd hang out at the YMCA before swim practice. There, they always had pots of coffee brewing. I grew to like and also found that it helped me speed through practice. I also lived next to the Quick & Fresh, a little bodega deli place on my walk to the bus stop. They had one of those fake cappuccino and hot chocolate machines, which I later realized had no caffeine in it. Also around this time, I discovered amazing bagels. Sure, Virginia had bagels. My parents liked them. But there's nothing better than a bagel from the NY/NJ area. Our place in NJ is right next to one of the best bagel bakeries in the area. I really liked blueberry and chocolate chip bagels at this time.

Espresso: Towards the end of junior year high school, I discovered espresso. My parents, being very Asian, were very cheap and only had a coffee pot at home. And NEVER went out to Starbucks for espresso drinks. But one day, we got coupons for a free espresso drink at the local Barnes and Nobles that had just opened. And so, being Asian, we went and only got the espresso drinks. I got an espresso; my dad got a latte; my mom got a cappuccino. I remember being so confused as to why my drink was so small. I didn't really enjoy it, and was mad b/c my parents' drinks were better.

Coffee with cream and sugar: By senior year high school, I started doing morning practice, b/c I could finally drive myself there. And every day, after morning practice, my girls and I would drive over to get bagels and coffee. Coffee with cream and sugar. Egg bagel with vegetable cream cheese. It was especially funny b/c the bagel shop we went to was owned by Indian people and every time we went there, we had the same conversation:
me: "Egg bagel with vegetable cream cheese please"
cashier: "Vegetabel cream cheese? Do we have vegetabel cream cheese?"
guy in the back: "yes, we have vegetabel cream cheese"
cashier: "ok, here is your Egg bagel with vegetabel cream cheese"
Yes, I did mean to write vegetabel. you have to think of it in a thick Indian accent.

Medium Chai Latte with a shot of espresso: At one point, I was visiting colleges. I went to Washington University in St. Louis. That night, some of the kids there and me went to Panera (St. Louis Bread Company) and I saw a Chai Latte. Curious, I got it. Amazing. Later that weekend, at the St. Louis airport, I wanted another... but with more caffeine. So I got a Chai Latte with espresso. I remember LOVING it. That was a momentous day for me.

Grande non-fat latte: Freshman year college, I lived within walking distance to a Starbucks -- I mean seriously, I was in New York City. Everyone lives in walking distance to a Starbucks. I discovered the difference between the various espresso based drinks. I started tossing back LOTS of latte's. They were good.

Grande triple chai latte: Sophomore year college, I started working at an events planning place. They treated us to coffee almost every time I was there (there were only like 5 people in the office). I remembered that amazing Chai latte from the St. Louis airport.

Coffee black, no sugar: Junior year, I moved an avenue and a few blocks away from the Starbucks, but I passed a street cart on my way to classes. I fell in LOVE with street vendor coffee. Just a $1 and with barely a line.

Green Tea: For the holidays Junior Year, NEG got me an espresso maker. Bane of my existence. I started drinking WAY too much espresso for my own good -- espresso with a splash of milk and Splenda. I remember that winter going to China for winter break. After leaving the day after my last final, I needed like 5 espresso shots to function. Unfortunately, China was NOT a good place to go. The coffee was weak. The latte's at Starbucks were hella expensive for China and they only had soy milk. REALLY thick soy milk. I was not happy. Eventually I got rid of my caffeine headaches by drinking lots of green tea. It was still caffeine, but at least I wasn't jittery.

Macchiato: For Spring Break that year, I went to visit GEB in Seattle. Oh no. She would order macchiato's. Amazing. Espresso with just the right amount of milk product. I switched from my latte's.

Espresso w/ Baily's: Back on campus, I started making lots of espresso again. And of course, I never had milk in my room, so I'd use Baily's as creamer. I realized how bad that was one when day I showed up for my 9am class kinda really tipsy.

Lipton tea with honey and lemon: Senior year, I tried to wean myself off of coffee and espresso. I started drinking lots of Lipton tea with lemon and honey.

Nothing?: This past summer, I did well. almost no coffee for an entire summer.

Chai Latte's, teas: And then I started working. There's a coffee machine with LOTS of flavors. And LOTS of tea bags. I started making my own Chai Latte's. Starting getting really jittery. But now, I've almost completely switched to caffeinated tea's. Matte tea in the morning, earl grey after lunch, rooibos before bedtime (uncaffeinated).

London Fog: It was working out well until ML told me about the London Fog. Earl Grey tea with steamed milk -- made by Starbux. They recently even added it onto their drinks list. And then for X-mas, my parents got me a Starbux Gold card. 10% off almost everything. I started getting off the Path a stop early so that I could walk past the Starbucks and get my drink.

I'm blogging about this today, b/c for the first time ever, I walked in, the lady behind the counter nodded at me and got my order all ready... I didn't even have to ask:
Grande non-fat London fog with a harvest bagel.