A Coffee a Day

"Um, can I please get a grande decaf doubleshot with sweet cream cold foam and light ice with one pump of vanilla?"

I've become that girl.

The one that spends $6 or more on her daily coffee...or something that resembles coffee but is delightfully unrecognizable. Or is maybe even green like boogies (can someone please tell me why matcha tastes so good?).

I wasn't always this way. I used to judge these same characters back in the day.

When I was in high school, I'd gawk at the teenagers pullin' up at 7 in the morning with their unconscionably large iced coffees, smack dab in the middle of winter. The ones that pulled up late to school, double fisting a caramel machiatto in one hand and chia tea latte in the other. The real ones rolled up with a carton of three or four for their friends. And the ones that were truly committed yielded half a dozen, like eggs.

Me - I didn't have the time, the money, or the desire. In fact, I thought it was downright offensive. There were so many other things in the world to spend money on - if I even had any to spare - and $100/month was going right down the drain. How could they indulge so selfishly? How could they spend so recklessly?

But five years later, I've turned into the very monster I so scorned. (I also love seltzer now, too...but that's another discussion). But getting a coffee a day has become a crucial part of my new routine: keep on reading to find out how it's impoved my day-to-day outlook and productivity, as well as greatly augmented my happiness.

I've turned into the very monster I so scorned.

Let's get into it.

As we "spring" into the one-year anniversary of this COVID-19 panalamadingdong (thank you Jade Fox, self-proclaimed Raging Homosexual, for that gem of a synonym - video below), I am so nearly at a daily weekday coffee from Starby's. The longer quarantine lasts, the more dollars go into the coffee I slurp up each day. Yum...soggy, am I right?

To put my new status as Starby's fiend into context, know that I'm no longer in high school. I've graduated college (if you count Zoom as a legitimate graduation platform). I have a job. I know I'm extremely fortunate for that. This also means that I have more moola to spend on whatever I need.

And it's become apparent - bear with me - that I need a grande iced brown sugar latte with oat milk.

I know this is coming off as skinny rich girl problems. But let's keep going.

The coronavirus has been hard on the whole world. I've had my own challenges. Yes, they are truly incomparable to those who have faced unimaginable loss, but they are challenges nonetheless. Since moving home and working remotely, I've struggled with being a queer liberal woman stuck in a rural red town. I've also had a super exciting variety of health challenges - ones that I never expected to afflict my 20-something self (like passing a kidney stone; read more about it in my article below).

With severe asthma, I have also been more cautious than approximately 100% of my same-aged peers. And more scared. All of this means I've just spent several long cold months isolated, in the dark, and with anxiety as my constant companion. So, what has made this better?

Starbucks. I found solace in coffee.

These are the reasons why I, a reknowned cheapskate, have been converted into a self-appointed Starbucks monster since the start of the COVID-19 panty-dropper (again, creds to Jade Fox - why use the tired word "pandemic" when you can spice it up with something totally incorrect?).

1. Starbucks drinks taste delightful.

The most obvious reason, first, is that I like getting my taste buds tickled. And I'm so single these days that I'm not getting tickled anywhere else. I'll take what I can get. Meanwhile, the surge of dopamine that kicks in after is an extra special treat.

2. It gets me out of the house.

I guarantee that everyone working from home understands this sentiment. I've been homebound for a year now. The longer things drag on, the more I hunger for something different than the four walls of my room. And yes, driving in a car just to talk to the pretty barista with indigo hair is a huge improvement.

3. Speaking of talking to the barista, I get to talk to a (cue jazz hands) Real! Life! Human!

I sorely wish I was kidding about this point. But if I have any interaction these days, it's usually with pixelated 2D versions of 3D souls. Except when I go to Starbucks. It's really the little things.

4. It gives me something to look forward to.

If you haven't been able to tell by now, I'm one of millions who struggle with mental illness, which has been exacerbated by everything else going on. Being in isolation has only amplified my anxiety and depression. And Starbucks has truly started to feel like an antidote.

It improves my outlook and productivity by giving me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Particularly on days when I don't want to wake up; when I don't want to begin another monotonous work day; when I'm exhausted with worry. With all these benefits, I'm starting to think it should be marketed as OTC medication. Maybe I can start charging coffee to my HSA account... Who's with me?

Maybe I can start charging coffee to my HSA account.

5. It's a distraction.

In a good way. You know what I mean? It's getting in my car and getting out of my head. Anything that can take my mind off of real life stress is something that merits further investigation. For me, this is Starbucks. This means planning out drinks, reading online forums for the best ones, figuring out how to use the app, learning the names of the baristas, and more.

6. It's sipping that first delectable sip and feeling like for a second, life is okay.

All is to say, $6 coffees is how I'm getting my life sorted this spring.

More than simply an indulgence, it's an investment. Right now, this is something that truly makes sense for me to invest in. I wake up in the morning, order the most ecclectic drink I can find, and sit down to work at home. Simply sipping and typing away. There are other ways for me to cut costs - living at home, for example. And if getting a coffee a day keeps the blues at bay, I think that's just about the best investment I can make right now.