February: The Coffeeless Month!

Hoo boy. This is gonna be tough one. I drink coffee religiously. I mean, as near to religion as I get. Whenever I'm happy, sad, distraught, confused, or just don't know what to do with myself, I drink coffee. The ritual of coffee is what I get up for in the morning, something I think about and love dearly.

And I have to give it up.

Let's be honest here: I drink it all the time because I love it. But truthfully I need it as well. I love to brew coffee at home and I have noticed that to get any sort of a kick out of it I have been gradually increasing the amount of coffee in each cup. Normally they recommend two scoops of grinds per average sized cup of coffee. After getting a coffee press, I gradually increased this to 3 scoops, then 4, and sometimes even 5.

In college (which ended about a year ago for me), I had to scale it down my usage from my usual truly frightening amounts. In the morning before the first class, I would drink a cup to get started. As that first cup did next to nothing but whet my appetite for more, I would have another on my class break. Then another at lunch. And another on my afternoon break. I wouldn't have another after school, unless I was working (I worked at a restaurant). Then I would have 1 or 2 more. But one of those would be decaf, so that doesn't count!

Something had to change. So I made a rule: no more than 3(!) caffeinated drinks in a day. And I've stuck to it ever since, with only 2-3 infractions in more than a year and a 1/2. Praiseworthy in one sense. But I stick very closely to that rule, and drink 3 virtually every day. I am an addict, and the only way forward is to go cold turkey. So here are the rules this month!

1. No Caffeinated Beverages. AT ALL.
To me, it defeats the purpose of a competition like this if you can take shortcuts. I don't drink tea very much, as I find it often smells completely delicious but is far too weak in flavor for me. But after a few days without coffee, I bet I'd be pretty eager for a tea. And so many sodas have caffeine in them, as well as some beers and chocolates. My girlfriend even bought some soba noodles that had been infused with green tea. They are all as of February a no-go. And, as decaffeinated does mean caffeine free, I am not allowed that either.

That's the only rule this month! Simple and to the point. I have so much anxiety over this one that it is scary. I feel like the moment this starts, I will curl into a fetal ball and start to weep. Loudly, and without restraint. But I am going to do it anyways, because this is the year I conquer all my addictions, one at a time.

So if you see a strange man sitting across from you gazing longingly at your coffee cup with tears in his eyes or standing in the front door of your favorite coffee shop inhaling deeply, have pity. I'm very nice, and am probably having a rough day.