All the things that only coffee drinkers understand

Getting into coffee is so much more than setting your drip to wake you up every morning or perfecting your Starbucks order. With all due respect to the tea lovers (you’re great too) there are things that only hardcore java drinkers understand about the world. Like…

You know where the closest and best places are to get coffee at all times. 

We get nervous if there are no good coffee shops around. And living on bad coffee is not an option, so the type of coffee around is equally as important. I went to college in Dryden, NY for a year, and the closest Starbucks was 30 minutes away and the college coffee shop was closed on the weekends. Needless to say, the weekends were difficult.

The mug you choose matters

For me, the mug I choose depends on my mood. Sometimes I want a big cup of coffee, other times I want a smaller cup so I can fill it to the brim. Sometimes I want one with a cheery message or joke, and sometimes I want a utilitarian one. The loss of a mug (egads, dropping your coffee!) is one of those things that can ruin your whole day. Many people may call this “picky” but I call it “a way of life.” Choose away coffee lovers.

Powdered milk can ruin a good cup of Joe

Whoever invented powdered milk is clearly a coffee hater. Unless you’re really in a pinch or out camping, coffee lovers generally avoid the powdered stuff in their cup. It’s just not the same.

You have your coffee order down for at least three different places

At McDonald’s? Black. At the coffee shop around the corner from the office? Iced with a lot of milk but no sugar. At Starbucks? Skim latte. Everyone who drinks coffee knows how they like it, and what places do things best. The closest way to our hearts is by memorizing our order and bringing us a cup every now and then.

We feel cheated if the our usual coffee order doesn’t taste the same as it usually does

Have you ever been out of the area and ordered a coffee? Remember the excitement, the anticipation of finally getting a taste of your favorite roast. Now imagine that that coffee you just ordered tastes a little more like milky water then the latte you ordered. This is sadness, and coffee lovers will not stand for it.

Coffee headaches are so real

I’m lucky because my addiction isn’t so bad that I get terrible headaches. But I do get a small, super annoying one on the days I decide to take a break from java. And I know I’m not alone. The caffeine withdrawal headache? It’s a real real struggle.

You panic when you realize you left a half finished cup of coffee behind

True story: I once turned around on my way home from class because I realized that I had left a mocha sitting near the computer I was working on. It took me 15 minutes to drive back, but guys, it was so worth it. I’m also bummed that my reaction to realizing what had happened wasn’t taped.

You honestly believe that coffee played a factor in your somehow passing college

I somehow managed to maintain a 3.2 and higher GPA throughout my four years of college. I realize that maybe I played a part in this, but I must take a movement to thank my good ol’ pal coffee. I couldn’t have done it without you, buddy.

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