A starbucks addict speaks

Most of my friends used to think I was obsessed with Starbucks, but I didn't think I was. I used to love coffee, sometimes drinking three or four cups a day, everyday for about a year. I was nineteen at the time and it was my second semester in college. I remember being worried and frazzled most of the time coffee brought calming sensations.
You might think, isn't the caffeine supposed to trigger some energy? I'm sure it did, at one point, but I got so used to feeling that little buzz everyday that it began to subside. To be honest, I think I've tried everything on the menu at Starbucks, even the caramel machiato...yuck. Sorry, I'm not a fan of caramel.
My first usual was a tall latte. Everyday I'd drink a plain tall latte in the morning. Then I'd work up for something cool and refreshing, like a passion tea lemonade in the afternoon. I also loved having Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino, a guilty pleasure I'd always indulge before history class. At night, I'd have a coffee, either Sumatra, Pike or if I was lucky, a Kenya blend. I needed something bold and when I'd get a whiff of that cup, I knew I'd get through my seven o'clock class.
My usual eventually became a tall double shot cafe mocha with peppermint that I sometimes lamented over during stressful mornings.
I haven't drank a cup in...four months? Has it really been that long? One day, I noticed how much of my money was going toward this little "addiction" and stopped.
A lot of people told me, just brew your own at home. I laughed and YouTube-d, "How To Make Coffee in a Coffee Maker". For a while, that's what I did. I spent a lot less money and I thought it was the sensible thing to do.
Then one day, I just didn't have time to get my coffee in the morning and went coffee-less for a day. Oh my gosh, seriously that was the most tiring day I might have ever experienced.
I remember, during my break between classes, going up the Great Room at the library and falling asleep for nearly three hours. I missed a class and was so dizzy when I woke up. Maybe that's when I realized that I had taken it a bit too far with the caffeine.
I admitted to my friends that I did have an "addiction" to the drink, and my friend Diane said, "The first step is admitting you have a problem." I laughed so hard and from that moment, I just gave up.
Gone were the double shots of espresso, only to be replaced with cranberry apple juice, my new love. Now if I visit Starbucks, it's usually for tea or hot chocolate with mint. In fact, I'll be there today with a friend for some girl talk.
Sometimes it's hard to resist when I walk in and step up to the counter, breathing the scent of beans and watching workers pour a Pike roast, my heart races just a little bit. I calmly ask for a tall black tea with room for milk and slowly walk away.
Maybe one day I'll have a cafe mocha, maybe I won't, but that's OK. I don't need it anymore; I have a lot more pep and energy than any espresso shot could ever give me.
I'm happy with my life, and I don't need caffeine to keep me going. So if you ever see me loitering around Starbucks, sipping a tea or reading for class, say hi. And if you're a coffee fanatic like I was, try switching to decaf, because like a Beatles tribute band, it might not be the same but it's a wonderful stimulation.