Coffee. For some of you, this word means nothing. For others, you drink a cup down during finals week to stay awake. And for the few and dedicated, coffee isn’t just a drink—it’s a lifestyle. I am one of the latter, and I am here to tell you my story of how I not only became addicted to coffee, but I became addicted to the best brand in the world: Starbucks.

It all started with a Grande Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino. Now I know that this isn’t coffee, but this was the drink that introduced me to the incredible world of Starbucks. My mom and I were shopping, and she wanted some coffee. I was seven, so coffee wasn’t even a word in my vocabulary. Yet. Things went downhill from there.

At first, I only had Starbucks a couple times a month. I would go grocery shopping with my mom, and there was a Starbucks in the store. She would get me a Frappuccino, and I would drink it while we were shopping. I was content and everything seemed fine.

It got worse a few years later. A couple of weeks after my 13th birthday, my aunt did a Starbucks run for the family. She got my order wrong and accidentally got me a Grande Caramel Frappuccino, which was the first coffee drink I had ever had. This drink is what started my full-fledged addiction, and everything has been going downhill since then.

Before I had a car and a job, my addiction wasn’t as bad. I couldn’t get to Starbucks without relying on others, and if Mom wasn’t paying for Starbucks, I wasn’t getting Starbucks. But after I could get there on my own and pay for whatever I wanted, I sunk deeper into my addiction. The money and coffee really started flowing.

College hit, and Starbucks was now in walking distance. I started going to Starbucks twice a day. The family was concerned for my checking account. I was going through money like it grew on trees. Frappuccino’s, Refreshers, Teas, Lattes—I was sinking deeper into my addiction. Dale, the Barista, is now my best friend. He recognizes me when I come into the store and starts making my order for me. The cashier swipes my card as a single tear falls from my eye.

When I see a Dunkin’ Donuts, I get angry. Friends don’t let friends drink Dunkin'. It’s processed and tastes like it, too. I don’t understand why people would go to Dunkin' if there is a perfectly good Starbucks nearby.

There is a Starbucks near my gym at home. To be healthy, I have to pass a Starbucks. And I can’t just pass a Starbucks and not go inside. It’s like a force is pulling me in. I have started studying there, not because it’s any better than the library, but it gives me an excuse to drink Starbucks all day.

I can’t stop, and I won’t stop. I’m addicted and I’ll be addicted for life.