I spent quite a few mornings with my Grandma, eating oatmeal and drinking black, instant coffee. I swear, drinking that coffee was like drinking gritty, bitter motor oil. But I loved it. I would get furious with my niece Kenzee when she would wake up early and drink coffee with Grandma and not bother to wake me up. At the time, it felt like the highest honor to share that morning Cup of Instant Joe with Grandma. Now that I'm older, I realize how true that statement is.
Fast-forward about 12 years (coffee-free) into high school. There was a weekend basketball tournament that I attended. I stayed at a hotel with the rest of the team and in the morning two of my teammates talked me into trying the hotel coffee. After about seven packets of french vanilla creamer, I enjoyed it! I started drinking it infrequently at the restaurant I worked at, but not consistently until my first semester away at college. I would sit in the MSU cafe pumping that vanilla coffee-mate creamer into my travel mug until I felt pressure from the line of people accumulating behind me to call it good.
I stopped drinking coffee and limited any form of caffeine intake as soon as I found out I was pregnant with my oldest son. I ended up getting a Keurig machine when he was a baby, so I continued indulging in mediocre coffee. I'd visit and spend the night with my sister often. Her husband always makes sure that he brings her coffee in the morning before he goes to work (#goals). He'll leave it by the nightstand while she's sleeping, because she also enjoys room temperature coffee. When I would stay over, he would always set my coffee up as well. Sorry for never finishing it, guys, just know I super love you for continuing to do so even if my ass was ungrateful.
When my son got into early head start and I was still working nights, I needed to find something to do with myself during the day while he was at school. I would say two of my favorite months to look back on would be when I would drop him off at school, go down to work out at the Rec Center, and then spend the rest of the morning studying at the coffee shop. Maybe one day I'll get to do that again, even once a week. Anyway, that's when I began evolving into the coffee snob that I am today.
When I started working at the ECC and attending school at Northland I ran back and forth so much and I stopped frequently at Big Water. My drink there has been the same since I first discovered it - the HoneyBee Latte (I was thrilled when it showed up on the menu through the owner/name change). But during the Big Water days, I am convinced that I was paying their light bill, at least, with how many times I'd stop there.
Since then, my coffee bar at home has also evolved (which has, in turn, helped my bank account). It began with just a simple, but beautiful wooden structure (thanks dad!) with one tiny Mr. Coffee pot sitting atop. Over the years, there have been different machines that have blessed my life including the Ninja Coffee Bar, classic Mr. Coffee coffee pot, and Mr. Coffee Espresso Machine. They were all acceptable until this past Christmas, when Alexander gifted me the Breville Barista Express.
Check out the #glowup from 2016 to today.
My appreciation for coffee has definitely changed over the years.
Now, on quiet mornings (which doesn't happen too frequently in a house with three boys) I sit and sip my coffee (sometimes black, but never instant). It is forever the thing that brings me back to those mornings sitting around the dining table with my Grandma. I feel peace. I feel comfort. I feel home.