We should go for coffee sometime. It is a phrase often said in American culture when you want to meet with someone going for a short amount of time and it is a way to be social in American culture without a long term time commitment.
I got caught up in the coffee culture when I was in high school when there were only a few spaces that teenagers could hang out. I started out not liking the taste of coffee so I started with a caramel latte from Starbucks which has very little coffee and then slowly progressed to lattes, americanos, and then drip black coffee.
Coffee culture was omnipresent, between invites for coffee talks with friends, to shows I adore like Friends where the main characters are addicted to coffee. By the time I had gotten to college I was drinking around four cups a day needless to say I could not function.
One morning when I woke up after not sleeping great I challenged myself not to have a coffee all day, and I ended up feeling great and sleeping deeply. Then I did it the next day and felt awful, headaches, tiredness, and just overall bitter. Slowly I got out of withdrawals of coffee from the anxiety, to the sleepless nights after long days, I had finally gotten to the point where I was not drinking a cup a day.
I was able to do that because I realized why I loved coffee, I just simply enjoyed having a hot drink in my hand. It also made me feel connected to my parents, to a new friend, and to an American identity that I often did not feel.
However steering away from coffee and only having it once or twice a week makes me enjoy it more rather than mindlessly drinking it. I am not alone though, according to a statista study 80 percent of people surveyed drink two or more cups while at home on a weekday.
For fall when all you want is that hot drink in your cup and that comfy, cozy feeling here are a few alternative that are not coffee you can try:
Tea
This may seem like an obvious first choice but tea has a lot of variety. From caffeinated to non caffeinated and the option of adding sugar or milk this is a good transition drink for anyone who wants to start pulling away. The only drawback to tea is that it can end up staining your teeth.
Lemon Water with honey
Traditionally thought of as a drink that you only have when you have a sore throat, for those coffee drinkers who are only having one or two a day this might be a better alternative drink. Depending on how much lemon you put in it can be quite flavorful but just keep in mind if you are drinking more than three cups per day otherwise you could ruin your enamel.
Hot water
A choice for the brave, lacking all flavor but with immense benefits, if you are or were as addicted as I was this might be the best thing you can do for your mind and body. It is also extremely cheap since most coffee shops will only charge you the cost of the cup which is usually around 50 cents.
Coffee and fall are a perfect match for each other but just because it works for them doesn’t mean it will work for you. Trying an alternative can never hurt and potentially it will open your eyes to how much it costs wallet, body, and mind to drink the two cups of coffee a day.