I hate coffee. I know, it's not the most popular opinion, but I can't help it. I hate everything about it: the smell, the taste, everything! Every time I walk into Starbucks, the smell is creepin' (like Lil Skies) into my nose, causing me to feel the need to leave ASAP.

Let me tell you, the struggle to stand in line at Starbucks while smelling the strong, black coffee being brewed is not the only adversity I face due to this dislike.

I, too, wake up early with drooping eyelids, craving caffeine to get me through the day. I have coffee all around me in the form of Keurigs and coffee shops, but there's only one problem: I can't drink it. Okay, I can, but I hate it.

Instead, I have to find other solutions to keep my eyes open. For years, I've had people judge and joke as I happily sip hot chocolate in the summertime, fall, winter, and spring. It has enough caffeine that it usually wakes me up. However, it's not always easy to find. I cannot tell you how many times I've been in hotels for sports meets or on other occasions and have needed caffeine desperately, but couldn't get any. I know what you may be thinking, "just try it, it's great!" Well, trust me, I have. I have tried so hard to life coffee. It would save me so much time and effort if I did. For some reason though, I just can't get behind it. So, when I'm at hotels, I am extra enough to search for hot chocolate yet rarely find it.

When I am at home, I usually have it and drink it regularly, but this summer I got tired of trying to find it when I was not home. I needed caffeine, still, but didn't want to deal with the hassle of finding hot chocolate. One day a new idea dawned on me. While not the healthiest choice, I sometimes find myself drinking diet Pepsi in the mornings. I know that seems weird af, but it works! While it might be strange to consider drinking soda in the mornings and drinking it every day is usually not the move, it is definitely a viable option for coffee haters.

So, with the help of hot chocolate and diet Pepsi, I kick the caffeine craving! If you hate coffee, just know, that there are other options like these. Check them out!