Simply Serendipitous

When it feels like my life is consumed by little more than thoughts of midterms and where to get my next cup of coffee, I saw the obvious blog topic for this week.  My coffee habits.

I think someone once said that a person’s coffee-drinking is an insight into their entire personality.  Okay, I might’ve just completely made it up.  But if the person is anything like me and they’re a very serious coffee drinker, you’ll be able to pick up on several cues that’ll alert you to their current state of mind, including stress level, sleep deprivation, overall contentment with the world, and will help you determine whether or not you’re risking life and limb by potentially interacting with this person.

First things first.  The brand of drink.  For me, there’s a definite brand hierarchy.  If you see me drinking Pura Vida, located in Levering Hall, for instance, it’s not a good sign and you can only assume desperation.  A cup from Carma’s Café (or pretty much anywhere off-campus), can be assumed as very good, as having time to go off-campus and actually purchase the coffee is impressive.  Café Q (the library’s in-house coffee place) is pretty much a wild card.  While I love their coffee (and their chai!), it can mean that I’ve been in the library (never a good sign for me) or that I actually had time to stop by there while on campus.  So, tread with caution when you see the signature weird/abstractish Café Q cups.  Einstein’s (located in Charles Street Market, right next to my apartment building) is usually another sign of desperation, except when they have their seasonal fall and winter blends.  I hardly ever drink Starbucks (taste preference), so I can’t even create a rule here.

Presence of straw.  If I’m drinking coffee from a disposable cup and you see a straw jammed into the little sippy part, it’s an extraordinarily bad sign.  Either avoid me entirely or, if you’re in a particularly Good Samaritan-like mood, consider a mini-intervention.  Every now and then when I’m extremely sleep deprived and have been living off of little other than caffeinated drinks, I build up such a tolerance that the temperature no longer phases me and I’m not interested in the taste – enter, straw – and my only goal is more caffeine intake.  Luckily it’s been a few months since I’ve gotten to such a state.  But I can genuinely say that I turn into a crazy person entirely incapable of normal interactions with people.

Container. If it’s a disposable cup, it’s pretty much a wildcard, and you should refer to the brand to further determine my state of being.  If it’s a thermos, it could actually be a good sign, as it means I’ve been home at some point in the recent past and have been able to operate a coffee machine.  However, the best case scenario is an actual mug.  I’ve started waking up early enough in the mornings that I’m able to sit down with a cup of coffee and drink it before class.  No thermos or purchasing of anyone’s potentially-subpar coffee required.  It’s a very pleasant way to start the day, and if you see me at a 9AM class without some kind of coffee, it’s likely that I’ve already had it.  Impressive, huh?  (Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I’ll admit that there are many days in which it is less of a morning coffee-sipping and more of an outright chugging as I rush out the door).

So there, my friends, are my basic coffee habits and how you can interpret them to assess my craziness at any given point.  Do note that I’m not actually as dependent on coffee as I’ve made it seem and that my life isn’t so bad as to require ridiculously excessive caffeine intake…it’s really a personal lifestyle choice more than anything. Baltimore’s got great coffee (Zeke’s is my personal favorite and is sold at Eddie’s Market just down the street and at the Waverly Farmer’s Market every Saturday!), which really just encourages my habit more than anything.  Until next time (in which I’ll be substantially less caffeine-dependent), happy coffee-drinking!