I started drinking coffee around age thirteen, pretty much strictly so I could feel cool. Hollywood taught me that all people who are really cool drink black coffee all day because they're U.S. Marshals or astronauts and don't get a lot of sleep. I decided that was the path for me. Suffering through cup after cup for the sake of someday becoming a starship pilot or maybe an FBI agent, the bitter, acrid beverage slowly started turning into a rich and invigorating one. My deli cup soon became an experience more than a wake-up button, and I started spending time with my friends at cafes drinking far far too much coffee, discarding sleep in favor of a newly discovered social and flavorful aspect of the brew.
It wasn't until after college that I came to understand that I hadn't scratched the surface. I moved to Chicago and answered a help wanted ad for a small roaster in town, figuring free coffee is good and and a nine to five is a nine to five. The day I walked into the warehouse and was hit with the smell of roasting coffee I was sold. The amount I learned at that job was astounding. There turned out to be so much more to coffee than I had imagined, and felt I could ever understand. Now, I continue to seek knowledge and explore the mighty depths of the complex and wonderful beverage, ever alert for new experiences and uncharted territories.
