In January I decided to quit coffee entirely. I went cold turkey for three months. It went surprisingly well — no severe withdrawal, no headaches, just a quiet sense that I had made the right choice. There was also a trace of sadness, like saying goodbye to an old friend.
Then, in April, the question returned: if I were to allow myself some coffee again, how much would be reasonable? Once a week felt too frequent. Once a year felt ridiculous — what if that single shot turned out to be disappointing? I would have to wait another full year.
One shot per month, though… that felt like it might be infrequent enough to avoid triggering my allergy, while still letting me occasionally enjoy a really good espresso. The more I thought about it, the more the idea appealed to me. It would transform the old routine morning shot into something deliberate — a small ritual that required thought, research, and intention.
The first shot under the new rule came from my own home espresso machine — one that had produced many excellent shots over the previous years. But after sitting untouched for four months, the beans had gone stale. The espresso was flat and uninspiring. It wasn’t a disaster, but it was enough to make something clear: if I was only going to have one shot a month, I wanted it to be really good. Home brewing, at least right now, wasn’t going to deliver that.
The only problem was timing. I had to wait another full month before the next shot.
Where would my May espresso happen?