Addicted

Story bThea Knobel

Hi my name is Thea Knobel and I’m an addict. An addict of Starbucks chai tea lattes, that is.  

I’m a daily user. Sometimes I even indulge multiple times in one day. I dish up $3.95. I brave the 240 calories. It’s all worth it for the high.

The high isn’t just the taste. It’s not the caffeine rush. It’s the familiarity.

As a young child, I remember going with my mother to Starbucks everyday on 1117 Lexington Avenue. With one hand holding my mom’s and the other fully loaded with a chai, I would skip to school.

On September 11th 2001 my family fled New York City to move to Vail, Colorado. Mountains replaced skyscrapers. Bikes replaced taxis. Ski lodges replaced shopping centers. 24 students in my class replaced 250.  

But one thing remained the same in town. There was a Starbucks.

Every sip of chai reminds me of memories. It reminds me of the happy times with friends. It reminds me of adventurous times in foreign countries. It even reminds me of the stressful It’s-exam-week-and-I’ve-slept-for-30-minutes- times.

My freshman year at Chapman University my chai tea lattes went with me through three new roommates, four changes in majors, and 1,479 new students in my grade.

Through all the changes in my life, I can always count on Starbucks chai teas to remain the same.

I may be an addict, but at least they keep me sane.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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