10 Surefire Signs Your Starbucks Addiction Is Getting Out Of Hand

4. A 5-Minute Pit Stop Turns Into A 3-Hour Stay

Some days are better than others. As much as that morning kickstarter or afternoon pick-me-up can improve your day exponentially, the simplicity of the in-and-out routine grows less special over time. Sure, that iced coffee with milk will always taste good, and even the briefest of exchanges with your barista can brighten the hours ahead, but missing out on the immersive Starbucks experience hurts just a little bit more every time that you hustle out from under that green awning, clutching a to-go cup with practiced - if resigned - ease.

But it doesn€™t always have to be that way. Whether it be a holiday or €œsick€ day or plain old weekend day, sometimes you can meander in with a magazine to settle down and spend a few minutes soaking up the aromas of the café with a cup o€™ joe.

Yet inevitably, that magazine perusal will turn into a close reading, and you certainly cannot be expected to tackle that crossword puzzle without a refill and perhaps a muffin. Other patrons will filter in and out, but you have staked your place in the most comfortable seat, and you€™ll be darned if you leave before figuring out that final Sudoku number.

Then, at some point, you€™ll look out through your haze of contentment and realize that those few minutes have become a few hours, the baristas have changed shifts, the other in-house drinkers are not those beside whom you originally sat down, and the sun is distinctly lower in the sky than you expected. Perhaps a newer employee is growing concerned about you.

But there are no regrets. As far as you€™re concerned, three hours in a Starbucks are not three hours wasted.

Contributor
Contributor

Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .