Because I Thought Real Grownups Drank Coffee

I never used to like coffee. I drank it a few times during high school and college, with the sheer purpose of staying awake. Something about it made me worry that I was going to become dependent on it.

I remember the big power outage a few years ago, I forget which storm, or even what season it was. But I do remember that there were people (my mother included) who were driving around town looking for a place that had power and was selling coffee. That just seemed nuts to me.

Then life with three kids began to wear on me last winter and I wondered what I was missing. I loved hot chocolate, especially in the evening, but it was too many calories. So I decided to try coffee.

I bought our local Wegmans brand grocery store coffee, traditional and half-caf for morning and afternoon. (A brief attempt to order a fun frozen coffee drink at 6 p.m. a couple years ago resulted in me not sleeping most of the night. Apparently I am officially old). I pulled out the coffee maker we were given as a wedding present almost thirteen years ago, that I keep exclusively for guests since neither of us even likes coffee.

Following the package instructions I felt almost silly. I’m 33 years old and I have hardly ever made coffee. I drank a huge mug of it with a single tablespoon of hot chocolate mix. Yum, it was tasty and I felt all warm inside. Soon I began to enjoy having a cup of coffee in the morning and sometimes the afternoon as well. Still drinking store brand, I found I preferred Colombian. I experimented with maple syrup or honey and unsweetened chocolate powder. But I still liked it best the way I first made it.

Now I drink coffee at a friend’s house or even order it in a restaurant. (Though I have to find a way around requesting hot chocolate mix, since that isn’t very grownup).

I do feel the need to add that I actually gave up coffee for the summer when I was packing my house up to put on the market. I packed the coffee maker in mid-August and have been without it ever since. I am surviving just fine, but I do look forward to bringing it out again, and making myself a nice mugful.