My love affair for coffee began a very long time ago. I began drinking coffee when I was 13. Immediately, I was taken with its colorful taste, bold flavor and rich aroma that filled the air. Thus, started my romantic relationship with this quintessential brew and we have been together ever since.  Coffee became my first true love. It never leaves my side, always picks me up when I’m down, and almost always comforts me when I have had a stressful day. Plus, it greets me happily every morning and tucks me into bed every night.

I fell in love with coffeehouses in high school. The very first one I ever stepped into was the infamous Starbucks. The minute I entered I thought I had died and gone to that celestial place in the clouds. The strong smells and rich colors attached themselves to every sense of my being. I stepped up, placed my order for the house special and was thrilled with all the choices that were presented to me. I made a silent promise to myself, right then and there, that I would try each and every combination of options and flavors that I could possibly imagine.

I enjoyed being able to watch the baristas mix up my drink and hearing their voices boom through the shop with directions and customer’s names. Needless to say, I was very impressed. I believe I had three different drinks that day. It was a day unlike any other. When I left, I vowed to return on a daily basis. From their unique décor, with their bright warm colors to their display of various coffee beans to their deep rich aroma wafting through the air I never expected to find anything better or anything that would compare.

Having found my newest place to spend my time, I began to wonder if there were others like this. I traveled to various places and found several wonderful coffeehouses and some even with drinks I hadn’t even tried but none could compare. I had become such a regular that they even tried to recreate some of the drinks I had in other shops for me. Yes, Starbucks was my home away from home.

One day, not so many years ago, I entered a bookstore and inside this particular store was a coffee niche with the name, Seattle’s Best. I decided to try it. I looked at all the different beans and couldn’t quite decide on which one, so I simply picked the one with the striped orange cat on the cover of the bag, Henry’s Blend. I am an enormous cat lover.

My order was called. I retrieved my drink not paying any attention to the wonderful smell coming from my cup. With my nose in the local newspaper, I take a sip and was instantly stopped dead in my tracks. It was SO delicious. I quickly put down my paper, took a seat at one of their small tables provided to their patrons and enjoyed my first cup of Henry’s Blend. My love affair with Starbucks was truly threatened. For the first time, I thought about making this place my new home away from home. Don’t get me wrong, I had tried many a coffee from other places but none of them stopped me in my tracks like this one did.

I finished my first cup, walked up, and ordered another to go. Just to make sure I had to drink one more and it was just as good as the first. Now, I had a real dilemma on my hands, Starbucks, who has been there for me from the beginning, or Seattle’s Best, with their new rich, bolder, tastier flavor. Was I ready for a change? Could I really turn my back on Starbucks? The answer was no. I would try and divide my time equally between both and we all know that that only works for awhile. Sooner or later they will find out about each other. But, so far so good. I now go through each day living with my taxiing inner struggle, Starbucks vs. Seattle’s Best.

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