[quote]By Kiera Donovan
Online Writer
Graphic by Drew Danko [/quote]

The struggle is real. Coffee, you are dearly missed. My bank account may be thankful, but my coffee cravings are relentless.

I hoped I would feel better, somewhat cleansed: I feel worse. Caffeine withdrawal is accompanied by headaches, exhaustion, and the shakes. My shaky hands have seemed to settle, but that’s it. So far I’m regretting choosing to give this one thing up. I can’t count on one hand how many times I passed a Starbucks and thought to myself, “no one would ever know.

At this point, the coffee bean, I mean ban, is getting harder. Instead of the craving subsiding, it is now taking over. In an effort to curb the craving with a healthier substitute, I have doubled my water intake. Honestly, I haven’t really felt a big difference, or a difference at all. I also have tried to look at it positively, I get extra sleep in the morning without needing the time to wait in the drive-thru line, or brew something up at home. I wish that’s how it worked. I am now an extra slug in the morning. I look in the mirror at my tired eyes and decide if and how I will mask the few hours of sleep I have gotten.

I just really want coffee. I pass three Starbucks on my way to school everyday, and every time I drive past, I can almost smell the freshly pressed espresso beans. So far, I haven’t let myself slip yet, hopefully the hardest days of breaking the coffee addiction have passed.