September 2015

“ROBERT!” I shouted into the phone “The closest Starbucks is 37 minutes away!” It was my first day living in Western Massachusetts and I was appalled! How was I, the queen of the Dirty Chai Latte, going to make it through the entire 10 months of Photography School without a Starbucks right around the corner. Starbucks was my go-to, my happy place. It was consistently delicious and always overpriced. What was I going to do!?

“Well, is there any other cafes around?” Rob asked as I paced around my new bedroom.

“Only Dunkin Donuts and I refuse to settle for Dunkin!” I explained. I was seriously in awe. I knew it was a small town. I knew there wasn’t going to be a ton around, but how was I going to survive without my Starbucks Coffee!

I was 23 years old and it was the first time I lived above the Mavis Dixon line in America. As much as I hate to admit it, it was a culture shock. The highways were different. The stores were different. Even the way people drank their coffee was different! It was the first time I actually understood what “America Runs on Dunkin” meant and I didn’t know exactly how I felt about it. As I babbled on the phone to Robert, I realized, I had two options. (1) Get on the Dunkin Bandwagon and get use to asking for a large coffee with X amount of sugar packets in it, or (2) become a tea drinker… I became a tea drinker.

Passover 2019

I don’t think I have ever seen a cup of coffee brewed or poured in the Pachino Family House. So, it didn’t even phase me when Robert and I arrived in Baltimore for Passover and there was absolutely no coffee in the house. Five years ago, I would have been horrified! I would have done everything in my power to make sure there was at least two cups of coffee waiting for me in the morning. Now, thank you to those crazy 10 months in New England, I have grown. I no longer need a cup of coffee to get through the day. Now coffee is a pleasure instead of a necessity. Now, I can go weeks, even months, without a cup of coffee and I have to tell you guys, I have never felt so great and fresh!

As Robert and I stopped for his coffee on the way back from Baltimore, I couldn’t help but think back on the first day I lived in Western Massachusetts. It is amazing how much one adapts and evolves over time. It is amazing how much one can grow. A