Confessions of an Addict

by Annette Dashofy

My name is Annette and I’m here to confess: I am an addict. It has been four days since my last fix.

My drug of choice?

Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha.

I used to only drink tea. Usually GREEN tea. Healthy, full of antioxidants. If I got something from Starbucks, it would be Chai. Still tea, but with a kick.

Then one day, while traveling with my friend and fellow Working Stiff, Lisa Curry, I noticed that every time we stopped along the highway at Starbucks, she ordered something called a White Chocolate Mocha. Of course, I love chocolate. So, out of curiosity, one day I tried one.

Oh. My. God.

Here’s the thing…I’ve had them from other coffee shops and they aren’t the same. I swear, Starbucks MUST put something addictive in theirs. I crave Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha (hold the whip cream, please). As I sip that rich, sweet brew, I feel contentment. I feel peace.

I feel BROKE! Have you seen the price of those things???

But I digress.

If I order a White Chocolate Mocha from some other coffee house, I don’t get the same sensations. (Except for the broke part).

As I plan my itinerary of stops while shopping and running errands, I find myself mapping a route slightly out of my way, just so I can stop at Starbucks. When someone asks me to go somewhere, I ask myself “is there a Starbucks near there?” Every month, I load up my Starbucks card with my “Mocha Allowance.” Lately, I find I’m cheating, adding more to it, because the balance remaining has run out and I’m still craving my fix.

So what exactly do they put in that stuff? I really don’t like coffee. It’s the junk they put IN the coffee that calls to me. If it was just a black cup of joe, I could pass on it without a blink of the eye. I figure there’s a secret ingredient in there that’s making me steal from my household budget to keep me in caffeine.

And it’s getting worse. I used to feel sated with just a tall White Chocolate Mocha. Tall is Starbucks talk for small. NOW, I need at least a grande (medium) and more often than not, I go for the VENTI (monster-sized large).

Help! Is there a Starbucks Anonymous out there? The problem is I don’t think I could stay on the wagon. I admit it. I’m nothing but a mocha junky.