Day 19

The no caffeine is actually easier than I thought it would be. Of course I haven't completely given up my habit because I'm still on decaf coffee. But there has been no afternoon PG Tips in nearly a week (this is quite a feat when you live with the English). Thank goodness for rooibos. Though you have to get the yuppie expensive kind, because the Trader Joe's brand tastes like weak Lipton's with a hint of cinnamon. Yuck. Rooibos tea (red tea) is magical. It is herbal but you can put milk in it. It is especially comforting on these frigid days in New England (at the end of May...sigh).

The first two days were horrible though. No, the first day was abominable. I spent most of it asleep. The next day there was less pain but I felt sluggish. I've felt fine ever since. I think the alcohol was harder, but there just aren't as many good alcohol substitutes. There are so many freaking beverages available to us in this country. Constant drinking is essential, whether it's water, coffee, or alcohol. And you walk around with the drinks. My sister was telling me about how they don't have cup holders on strollers in Europe and I thought about how ridiculous it is that we need to be drinking something all of the time. Almost everyone in this town has a Dunkin Donuts cup in their hand. Seriously, you look weird if you don't have one. It's not like people in England don't like their caffeine, but there it is a break. You sit down somewhere and drink it out of containers that you wash and reuse. And also everything here is so big. Drinks and everything else.