I used to not like coffee.

However, after being introduced to a café latte in architecture school, I never looked back. Once I started working, my relationship with coffee expanded exponentially.

I began to notice the subtle differences in beans, the grade of roast, techniques used by baristas in various shops, and traditions in multiple parts of the world. Using fresh beans vs older beans made a difference in the quality of the cup. I explored several methods of making coffee at home and came to like the French Press in particular. Once I started using a burr grinder, I noticed the way the coffee changed flavor depending on the method used to make it.

I never got into roasting my own beans.

Espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, latte, flat white, ristretto, lungo, moka, doppio, cortado, Americano, Cuban, Viennese, Turkish, drip, pour over, and French press–I’ve tried them all and can make most of them.

Coffee was a daily morning ritual. In time, I would get an occasional afternoon cup that would serve as a pick-me-up to get me through the rest of the day. I also noticed that my servings were growing larger in size. I don’t feel that I ever developed a dependency on it.

A meeting over coffee has brought me in touch with many people and I still like to find out of the way shops that serve a high quality, consistent product. On one level, it became a way to facilitate social interaction.

And now I’m tired of coffee.

I still like the way it tastes and can appreciate a good cup, but I really don’t want to think about it anymore. It was taking up too much of my time and I felt like I was getting obsessive with it to the point where I would only drink a specific drink from a certain shop with the right barista. I needed to step back and I’ve gone back to a simple 6 ounce serving–black–out of the office coffee machine. It’s not bad.

I haven’t quit coffee for good, but just need to step back from it for a bit and give it a rest. I have no doubt that my interest will pick back up again, but my relationship with it will be different, more moderated, or controlled. Maybe I’ll be even more discerning than I was before.

The process of refinement involves a period of expansion followed by a subsequent contraction. It’s a natural cycle and it’s not a bad thing. Being aware that it will happen, at some point, can make you better prepared for your next period of growth.

I have no interest in starting a coffee shop.