School has started. You now have suddenly found yourself back in the library, waist-deep in chapters to outline and homework to get done. But wait, you can't go to the library without your trusty iced Venti nonfat quad shot upside-down Caramel Machiatto with extra caramel (because who cares, you got nonfat milk, what's the extra caramel.) After dropping $5 on your best study partner, you realize that this was your third trip today, and that the same barista was there at 3:50 p.m. when your last class ended.
"Maybe that was someone different," you think to yourself. Then it hits you, you may be addicted to Starbucks.
As an avid Starbucks consumer myself, you can usually find me in line waiting to order my drink of choice. I thought that maybe buying coffee to make at home or even buying a Keurig would help me kick my Starbs addiction, but alas, there I am paying close to $4 for caffeine that I have become immune to. To be honest, I'm just lazy. My Norts or yoga pants (depending on the season) reflect such tastes and so do my drinks. I just like the way that the baristas make my drinks, and clearly I'm willing to pay a good amount of money to have them do so. I've tried to recreate the drinks at home, but it's not the same.
It's also the special time of year when Pumpkin Spice everything comes out. Starbucks is no exception, in fact, they're the ones who really brought Pumpkin Spice Lattes to the forefront for coffee consumers. There are now pumpkin spice M&Ms, pumpkin spice donuts, pumpkin bread, and so on. If fall is your favorite "color," then you know how important pumpkin spice is to the autumn season. Starbucks has even given their PSL it's own social media pages, giving customers the chance to interact with @therealpsl. You can see just how fashionable he is, getting ready for his fall debut on September 4.
But why is Starbucks so popular? How can they get away with charging customers for a $4 cup of coffee? According to the Smithsonian, it's the atmosphere and the convenience that attracts loyal customers like you and me. Then I realize that the Student Union on campus doesn't have an atmosphere that keeps me coming back, so it really must be the convenience. There are three Starbs on UA's campus alone, with a few more within a 10-minute drive of campus. I can stop by these locations, pick up my drink, and still have enough time to get myself to class or work. Plus, if you live near a Starbucks with a drive-thru, you don't even have to leave the comfort of your car, which is perfect when you're running extremely behind. They also have very customizable drink options, plus have options for your dietary needs.
Now that I've laid out why I'm in a long-term relationship with Starbucks, it's very easy to see why I was voted "Most Likely To Be Seen With Starbucks" three years in a row by my sorority sisters. The convenience and ease of Starbucks really does start my day off on a positive note. With that, I think I'll go and grab myself a Venti iced nonfat pumpkin vanilla chai.
