I am Caffeine free, Day 55

I’m used to extremes in my life. I’m used to munching on lots of sugar, getting a really nice sugar rush which invokes wonderful feelings of joy and satisfaction, and then crashing, experiencing weakness and extreme tiredness. In 5th grade I began riding my bicycle to school. My friend Jodi and I would stop at Dunkin donuts for breakfast (a donut covered or filled or both with some gooey substance) each morning and then we’d ride to Skip’s pharmacy were we’d each fill a tiny brown sack with candies for the rest of the day. I’m sure my love of sugar began much earlier than this but there’s a good possibility that my sugar addiction was acquired at this time.


My caffeine love affair didn’t begin until later into high school. Coffee with friends was always a fun time. However spontaneously deciding to drive to Canada or Kentucky during the middle of the day (while not having the time or finances required to obtain lodging) resulted in driving home from Canada or Kentucky in the middle of the night. Caffeine was almost essential during these such escapades.

While maintaining a healthy (in my mind’s eye) balanced intake of sugar and caffeine into adulthood I’ve managed to keep the wheels spinning in my head at speeds possibly not natural, muster up the energy needed to accomplish task after task after tiresome task without the necessary sleep needed, pull hyper happy me out of the closet when big social events arise, and I’ve realized that a good dose of either substance adds a lot of color and pizzazz to any situation.

For less than one month I’ve abstained from caffeinated substances and my sugar intake has been relatively low. For the most part I’m no longer physically ill. I’ve noticed a considerable difference in me though. I move throughout the day with one consistent speed, not fast, not slow, but just moving. I haven’t been hyper once. My mind hasn’t been racing (which I sort of miss). I’ve just been mellow and calm and sort of boring.

I’m used to extremes and yet I just complained about the unnecessary extremes in my life for two whole paragraphs in my last blog. It’s going to take awhile, possibly a long while to learn how to be me without the additives but I think it’ll be good. I’m not sure how many things I should tackle all at once. I’ve got a pretty good list of additions building up in my mind right now. But as much as I gripe about it and share my sob stories with you I’m really excited about the outcome and the journey. For now at least I think I can handle mellow, calm and boring. It might just be better than hyper and happy, then tired and grouchy, then headache and needing something.

In addition I am doing a horrible job at memorizing a Spanish word each day so I’m going to add each day’s word to my blog.
1. To build – construir
2. Board - tablas
3. Calm- tranquilo
4.Broom- escoba