Until a few years ago, coffee was for me simply a drink to get me going. It started around my first years of college when I would get to school. Still trying to find my way to class, each morning I would rely on the department's coffee machine to wake up. At the time, my standards and appreciation of coffee were that low.
After 4 years of studies, I admit that coffee became a habit. The only pleasure I would take out of it was the privilege of waking up. At any point, I thought about how it's made, the smell or taste. At the time, coffee was supposed to taste super bitter. The price to pay for becoming conscious.
And then I moved abroad and discovered the world of homemade coffee. You know, Moka pots, french press, and filtered coffee. For some reason, I was never exposed to home brewing back home (ironic I know). If you want coffee you had to either go to a cafe or buy a coffee machine. My mind was blown away.
Not only at all these "new" techniques but also at all these different flavors. This new discover evolved into a new passion. Eventually, I discovered a local coffee that sells beans of different sources which allowed me to brew a decent cup of coffee at home.
I still get all the caffeine but also the pleasure of going through the process of grinding, brewing, smelling and tasting all the complexities of real coffee. A different way of waking up.