grande sugar-free hazelnut americano, please

"I need a coffee the size of my head."
-Carrie Bradshaw, They Shoot Single People Don't They

Me too, Carrie. Me too. Coffee: the smooth, nutty, chocolatey aroma, the variety, the need for it first thing in the morning, the fun of meeting a friend at the local independent coffee shop (bah... who am i kidding - most of the time it's Starbucks), and the little pick-me-up it gives in the afternoon...how you treat me so right.
I can't remember exactly when I developed such a love for coffee. Perhaps it was around the same time I began my obligatory high school job at a Second Cup and my friend Lauren and I developed the phrase 'Coretto Time' (which is when we would ditch first period in favour of a cup of the caramel-vanilla-espresso goodness.. irresponsible, yes, but that's besides the point).
My affinity towards coffee only continued to grow when I restarted my coffee career at yet another Second Cup, this time during university, which is where Jessica (who also had the 'pleasure' of working at a mall Second Cup during her high school days) and I met. We became fast friends over steaming milk and indie music (microfoam and Stars, anyone?).
While living in Korea has many wonderful things to offer, a cup of strong coffee isn't one of them. Here, finding a cup of correctly brewed coffee is about as hard as finding an episode of Gossip Girl where Blaire isn't donning a headband or a paparazzi shot of an Olsen twin sans paper cup. As a result, I've resorted to filling my morning caffeine void with...duh duh dun...instant coffee - the horror. It's not half bad, but it just doesn't compare and I'd trade it for a little Coretto Time any day.
xo