When I love something, I feel all warm on the inside, my heart rate increases, and I have butterflies...no...a whole zoo in my stomach.  I mean all of this quite literally, in fact.  

My love is an essential part of my day, and it makes me who I am.  In fact, it is right up there with brushing my teeth and showering as a daily necessity.  While many may laugh at my obsession, many more will nod their heads in obsessive agreement.  

Coffee.  Just the word makes me happy.

If loving coffee is wrong, I don't want to be right.  If I was stranded on a deserted island, I'd want some coffee there, along with some best friends and family (also love them, I guess).  If I had three wishes from a genie, one of them would be an unlimited Starbucks gift card.  My other wish would probably be to be the third BFF in the Justin Timberlake-Jimmy Fallon best friend experience.  My last wish would be to be able to fly, definitely.  

Here are the big five reasons I love coffee.

1.  It's Communicative.

Coffee brings people together.  I've met some of my closest friends with the words "Want to go get some coffee sometime?"  I love working and hanging out in cafés.  I can't stand the silence of my own room, unless I play some music.  I love the hustle and bustle of a café; the music, the conversations, the sounds of coffee being made.  And the smells, oh the smells of coffee.  I love having conversations with people from the community and getting a feel for any community by visiting a popular local coffee shop when I first arrive.  

2. It's Family Tradition.

While my family is not from the Scandinavia region of Europe, which is where they drink the most coffee in the world because they have long nights and cold winters, we are still from a coffee-loving Europe.  For as long as I remember, my parents have hung out with their friends and shared coffee.  This is a daily ritual.  There's breakfast, there's lunch, there's dinner, and then there's 'coffee time'.  A few weeks ago my parents and some family friends visited and brought their own coffee.  That's how serious it is.  When Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Armenian people give housewarming gifts or other big holiday gifts, coffee is often a staple.  I have grown up with coffee and have adopted my family's and my culture's love for it.  To me, coffee represents family.

3.  It Tastes Good.

I love the taste of coffee.  I love that there are countless varieties of flavors and ways to make it-there's always adventure involved in trying a new flavor.  The fact that coffee beans come from natural plants guarantees that coffee made from different geographical regions will have different flavor.  I also love the smell.  I enjoy it so much that I've actually caught myself salivating in anticipation of coffee when I smell it, like other people do when they are excited and can smell a great meal.

4.  It's Relaxing.

I know this might sound like an oxymoron, a relaxing caffeine-filled stimulant?  For me, yes.  I don't drink coffee primarily because I want to be more awake or aware.  Of course, those are positive side effects of the drink.  However, I enjoy it more for the ritual and taste.  I drink coffee like some people may drink wine (while I do love wine).  I love sitting down, grabbing a book, and brewing up a cup of coffee.  To me, coffee has always been more about relaxing than it has been about waking up and getting more energy.  I enjoy it slowly.

5. It's Good For Me.

Despite what people may think, coffee does not have detrimental health effects.  Actually, there are research findings suggesting that it seems to protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.  This information is coming from Dr. Rob van Dam, from the Harvard Department of Nutrition.  I don't know about you, but I'm okay with trusting research that comes out of Harvard University.

After discussing coffee for the last hour, I am craving a hot Cup o' Jo.  I cannot wait to enjoy it because in that cup, like every other cup for me, will be represented communication, family and cultural traditions, relaxation, health benefits, and excellent taste.

Cheers, my friends.