I am your average overworked, underpaid, student-athlete, coffee fanatic, but I did not use to be this way. My coffee addiction started slow, like a gradual trickle from a kitchen sink spout. In high school, I drank tons and tons of tea: green tea, black tea, herbal tea, iced tea, sweet tea, you name it! I loved tea and tea loved me. It made not only my body, but also my mind feel refreshed and refueled. The blooming antioxidants and low caffeine levels brought a spring to my step with every sip.

However, when I started my undergraduate career the need for caffeine dangerously increased. Tea was simply not sufficing. I needed something stronger, perhaps coffee? There was one slight problem, though: I hated the taste of coffee!

I have always loved the smell of coffee, since my dad was an avid coffee consumer. I was raised waking up to the angelic smell of that morning brew every day. It made my nose do cartwheels as petunias blossomed inside my nostrils.

I have never liked the taste of it, though. My dad was the first person who offered me some. I curiously approached the mug of steaming dark matter. It smelled phenomenal so why should it taste any different? My logic here was vastly flawed. I recoiled in disgust as the metallic, bitter flavor washed over my tastebuds.

Needless to say, I did not like the way it tasted and remained steadfast in that opinion for quite some time.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. As headaches, fatigue, and stress enveloped my life I turned to caffeine to cure my woes, but the reality was tea has not nearly as much caffeine per cup as coffee. I would have needed to drink about 3-4 cups of tea to match the caffeine equivalent of coffee.

Question: How was I to dilute this dilemma?
Answer: Dirty Chai Latte.

A friend introduced me to this seductive drink half-way through my first semester of Freshman year. This beverage consists of a sweet blend of chai tea and steamed milk (I prefer almond, soy, or coconut as I am dairy intolerant), which can be ordered iced or hot, topped with a single shot of espresso.

The first taste was unlike anything I had ever had before. The spices in the chai balanced out the sweetness of the milk and the bitterness of the espresso. I had just hopped on a speeding train with a one-way ticket to paradise.

How had I lived a day without this crave-worthy concoction? I began to order espresso drinks more and more often. Eventually, I wandered out into the world of regular lattes of various flavors: vanilla, coconut, hazelnut.... I could tell my tastes were evolving and I was tolerating higher levels of bitterness in my drinks.

I am not quite sure where the line between my aversion to bitter drinks and my affinity for strong brews was crossed, but I am glad that it was. Today I can genuinely enjoy a cup of quality black coffee or a plain latte (my favorite being made with coconut milk) and savor the crisp notes that are played on the strings of my tongue.

My advice to you is do not be afraid of the uncomfortable. Start off slow and watch your interests, likes, and dislikes grow, develop, and evolve. I will admit that I have an addiction to caffeine, but with a cure as pleasurable as coffee, I am not ashamed, nor would I change it for the world.