Today's goal: Getting off drugs.

In four days I will be traveling to Ethiopia. Lots of things still need to be done and our house is amidst the mayhem of a three day work project heading into week two.
Today's task begins a difficult one for me. I have to get myself off the drugs. Weaning myself off coffee. This is not easy. I feel crabby just thinking about it. Oh, morning deep roast how I already miss you.

I have discovered when traveling to a time zone far enough away that my morning 7 am coffee craving starts at 1am or at other inopportune times.....things don't go well for me. The ensuing caffeine withdrawal and coma like presence leads to a poor first impression on the host country, its inhabitants and a bad headache for me. As if jet lag isn't bad enough, super crabby with a side of headache is even worse.

I know, I know.... I can hear you from where ever you are loud and clear. Why would anyone drink something that makes them feel so bad when they stop? Well because it's GOOD and most of my days are spent in one time zone. Millions of people feel the same way. Many of my friends and family are employed at coffee shops and it plays an integral economic role in our world. So stop judging me.

I gave up coffee for two years once and became one of those herbal tea drinkers. Did it make me a better person? No. It just made me one of those high maintenance types who when in a restaurant requesting tea would ask, "what kind do you have?" And then after the list would be recited I would give the waitress a heavy sigh as I settled on whatever "not my favorite tea" they had. Coffee is a simple exchange. Regular or decaf.. Done.

Once I get to the new time zone I'm all in with their morning routine and I think I stand a better chance of being pleasant and not creating an international incident . Cuz I have been in a few of those but none were related to coffee....at least not yet.