On torturing myself....

Brace yourselves, people. The end of the world as we know it is at hand.

Yes, that really means what you think it means...I will not have another sip of coffee until February!!!

moment of silence. shock and awe.

Do not fear, experts predict that many people's lives will continue as normal, unaffected by this momentous occurrence. But in my small corner of the world, they issue dire warnings of a tidal wave-like impact on my life -- a situation so extreme, so severe, that it is difficult to predict exactly what might happen.

No coffee for over a week? Why would I do this terrible thing? That was precisely my husband's question (and in all honesty, I'm still asking myself the same thing...). You see, much as I would like to, I can't bring myself to believe that the following sentiment is true:

Coffee...daily coffee...daily sugary lattes and macchiatos and mochas and cappucinos...this doesn't make for the best "me". Since moving, I have used my lovely espresso machine to turn coffee into my daily comfort food. It was my coping mechanism in the beginning -- coping with stress, with loneliness, with worry, with homesickness -- and turned quickly into a habit. A crutch, and an unhealthy one at that. While I joke about it, I'm really not ok with the reality that I have this huge addiction going unchecked. Plus, just to be real: we're talking about a lot of calories, folks. And yes, they've added up.

I mean, look at this! Can you imagine how awful it is that I've been drinking something like this every single day?? (Yes, I know it looks amazing. Yes, I want it. Yes, that is the problem!)

Now if you're wondering if I plan to give up coffee forever...hahaha!!! Not a chance. But for several weeks I have been trying to ease off on the frequency of my coffee habit, and I can't do it. It is way too ingrained right now, and I am way too good at justifying it on any given day. So I'm going cold turkey, just for a week (it's actually 8 days...way longer than a week!), and hoping for a fresh start after that. I want to make it a treat again, not an everyday occurrence.

Look, I know I'm being all dramatic about this. I'm only partly serious about the drama, but if you know me at all, you know that I really do love my coffee.... So help me out, would you? Check in on me, remind me that you know I'm doing this -- hold me accountable! And in return, I promise to not think, even for a second, about the gorgeous, endless Starbucks cups in this picture....