I wonder what percentage of the population has a caffeine problem? My deal is not that I have a problem with caffeine, but rather, I have a problem without it.
Teenagers don’t get enough sleep. It’s just a fact. On a good night I might manage around seven hours, regardless of what the latest magazine article recommends. Before caffeine ambled into my life, I struggled to stay awake during the first few classes of the day. Now, I’ve perked up, more productive and “eager to learn”.
On school mornings, I’ll get up at the very latest possible. No, like I’m not kidding. Some kids call “the very latest possible” half an hour before they need to be out of the house.
If school starts at 8:30 and it takes half an hour to drive to school, I’ll have to leave by 8AM, and I’ll typically wake up around 7:50-7:55. I’ll manage the essentials (brush my teeth, put on clothes, pack my bag, and go downstairs). If nothing else, I’ll grab an apple and a cup of coffee or tea.
Despite being extremely sensitive to caffeine, I have come to love the buzz of this chemical as it surges through my veins during its 9-to-5 workday.
The bitterness of plain coffee makes me shiver with disgust; I can only have my coffee sickeningly sweet.
But is that all coffee is to us? A thermos that tags alongside you the first few hours of the day? A cup that rejoices at your sleepy presence with billowing steam clouds?
No, it’s an excuse to convene, to sit across from someone gripping a cup and talk about the future, the past, and everything in between, amidst small sips and chuckles.
Since the establishment of coffeehouses during the Enlightenment back in Europe a few hundred years ago and the explosion of coffee and java as major exports, coffee has gone global.
Yet it still remains a local concept to me, because oftentimes when I sit and daydream, letting my mind wander over a cup of coffee, I rarely ponder its origin.
Between tea and coffee, I can’t settle the ages-old debate over which one reigns supreme; I’ll gladly indulge in both on lazy weekends. In the morning, I’ll have either chai tea or coffee, both with creamer (yes, even creamer in my tea), brought along with me to school in a cute little thermos.
Tea tastes great both sweetened and naked, and there’s nothing than feeling calm and peaceful grasping a warm cup of it.
Caffeine used to be a luxury for me. I’d order a mocha frappucino on the hottest of summer days and indulged, but now I consume it on a regular basis and I find that my living standards have increased.
I get bubble tea on the regular. A popular Asian trend that’s taken flight in the States, bubble tea chains have popped up all over the place.
Between my friends and I, I’ve found that it has an acquired taste.
You’ll either love it or hate it, and I recently joined the fan club a few years ago when I started ordering it daily while at debate camp.
My mom thinks my relationship with caffeine is unhealthy; she calls it an “addiction.” Even though I insist on a cup ever morning, lots of hardworking adults and adolescents alike need it to function properly amidst all of life’s daily struggles.
I know a dude that used coffee to free himself from his addiction to soda. Go you, Aaron.
Besides, even if I am addicted, why is this an issue to be addressed now? There are more pressing issues at hand.
– WWC
Cat Zhang 
Great post! I don’t consider my coffee drinking an addiction per say, it’s just the one thing I do enjoy these days. I’m really not supposed to be drinking as much as I do, but if that’s the worst of my habits then c’est la vie. I don’t plan to give up “my precious” anytime soon.
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My precious!! Glad that you can relate. Thanks for reading!
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My pleasure! Any tips on my blog would be greatly appreciated. I’m just getting started and I’m trying to increase readership :)
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Sure! I recommend making the homepage so that it only presents snippets of your posts, otherwise the sheer volume of full text overwhelms me.
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thx
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Enjoyed reading this post. Good points on the history of caffeine as well and great humour!
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Haha, thank you! Glad you enjoyed the read. :)
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“I don’t have a problem with caffeine, I have a problem without it” this alone made reading your post worthwhile!
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Personally, I’m addicted to tea. But I like coffee too so I can understand :)
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I love both! Chai is my favorite tea, but I also really enjoy mint teas because they are good for your skin. What’s your favorite?
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Honestly, I’m a simple girl who loves a classic traditional English breakfast tea – it’s got to be Tetleys! And my other favourite when I’m good.. Jasmine green tea :)
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Coffee!!! I have a cup beside me right now. Addiction is not necessarily a bad thing. In addition to coffee, I’m addicted to air, water, food (especially enchiladas), and my boyfriend. But don’t tell him that. :)
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Coffee! I have a thermos in my backpack right now :) Yay for healthy addictions! They give us vitality and a reason to wake up every morning.
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I love coffee and tea, too with all the sugar, milk, cream, half and half as well. For my afternoons when I crave the taste but not the need to be kept awake at night, I make a nice decaf latte with whole beans from Trader Joe’s.
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“My deal is not that I have a problem with caffeine, but rather, I have a problem without it.” Hahaha! Amen sister ;-)
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:) Glad you can relate. Thanks for reading!
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Hi Catherine! I am new to WordPress, and I just wanted to introduce myself! I saw your blog when it was featured on Freshly Pressed, and I was greatly inspired by your post. I am a high school student like you who loves to write but doesn’t have the time necessary to join a writing staff (ex: school newspaper, yearbook). I have been considering a blog for a while now, and seeing you maintain a creative and liberal website as a student inspired me to do the same. By the way, congratulations on 1,000 followers! (And I’m one of them. ;)) I don’t know if you’d be interested in my blog, but I enjoy personal writing, and I think we may have something in common in what we like to write about. I’m still getting used to WordPress and trying to figure out how to expose myself to the community, but I’m overall very excited to be here.
So really, I just wanted to say hi and thanks for the inspiration. If you’d like to visit my blog, you’re welcome to do so! (I published my first post today, and my goal is to publish a minimum of once per week.) Also, any advice you might have for first-time bloggers is very much appreciated! :)
~ Sunny
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Sunny! Hi, that seriously made my night. It’s so cool that you have started a blog, and I sincerely hope that you continue blogging. Never let it bore you. It’s awesome that you’re so young, and seriously, if you need any help or have any specific questions, email me! (lollypop184629@gmail.com) I’ll check out your blog for sure! GOOD LUCK <3
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Hey Catherine! Thanks for your reply. It’s good to know that there’s at least one person who knows about my blog and is willing to help out. Hopefully, I can get the traffic flowing with more posts! Keep on blogging yourself, I always enjoy hearing what you have to say!
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