International Coffee Day: Let the Baristas Lose Their Minds

by Devina Gunawan

I am a coffee addict, as everyone who knows me already knows, and there is no way I will ever miss International Coffee Day.

They have set the date to be October 1st, 2015, and I am so happy that this is happening.

Coffee is one of the greatest things in life. It is a part of my diet. If we are what we eat, then I am probably 70% carbs and 30% coffee. Which is probably why in a lot of my traveling photos, I’m always holding a cup of coffee.

It isn’t just the caffeine boost that makes coffee so wonderful, but the social aspect behind it.

My ultimate coffee place for three and a half years was Starbucks in College Station, Texas. I think I almost owned the place. There was this great power I had with my gold card, and I could use it for whatever. I’d find myself there at 6 AM to study, noon to take a break from classes, random hours to study for finals, and late at night to chill with my best friends.

Wonder why in Friends, they all hang out at Central Perk all the time? Well, because coffee means a break.

It means taking a deep breath out of work. It is to enjoy a cup of coffee and while doing so, enjoying life. Some people do other things while drinking coffee. Some people read a book, read newspapers, talk with their friends, gossip, and I sketch when I have my coffee.

And baristas have to work! They are some of the best people on Earth! Thank you so much, all of you Baristas, for making my coffee at 6AM or 10PM, thank you for being so patient with me when I ask for a lot of things.

Thank you for maintaining the pace when it’s rush hour and everyone’s yelling for some coffee.

Thank you for all the good and bad coffees you’ve made me, because I know sometimes when it’s rush hour, you probably lose your mind.

So here’s a little bit of benefits in drinking coffee, y’all. I thought it’d be good to share:

Like, protecting you against: Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s, liver cancer, liver diseases, Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and some more.
Coffee burns fats. For all of you who are always watching what you eat, have some coffee! It helps your digestion and burns fats.
It also fights depression. Coffee is many things, and it helps fight depression. Apparently it helps fight suicidal attempts and the smell of coffee makes you happy.
More importantly, a good source of antioxidants!
If you’re a lady like me, then coffee reduces our chance of getting skin cancer.
It might make you smarter! Apparently coffee goes straight to your bloodstream and then brains, where all the magic takes place.
It helps you boost some energy before an intense workout. I usually drink a cup of coffee an hour before my cross country training. A lot of athletes do this, and it helps their performance.

Coffee is good. It might be different for different people, but for me, it certainly is good.

And thank you again, Baristas, for always making my coffee.

Yet today is going to be your busiest day, and I wish you luck. Good luck on dealing with all the customers. Good luck making lattes and blended drinks.

And Happy International Coffee Day, world!!!