And fall is here!
It should really be the obvious signs that signify a change in seasons (specifically from summer to fall). I probably should have noticed a drop in temperature in the evening. I also should have noticed that the leaves on the trees are turning brilliant shades of burnt orange and maroon. And I probably also should have noticed that the munchkins have returned to school. September inevitably marked “fall” for almost every child between the ages of 6 and 18.
But no, I don’t really notice that it’s transitioning from summer to fall until Starbucks comes out with their heavenly Pumpkin Spice Latte in September.
Now, I enjoy Starbucks coffee. Most of it I credit to the fact I’m a Southern California (aka SoCal) transplant, and it always seemed to me there was a Starbucks every half a block or so. In fact, my university used to just have the coffee carts and the Starbucks beans but no actual Starbucks baristas…and then (choir of heavenly angels descends) they installed an actual Starbucks into the business building. Crappy imitation Starbucks baristas no more!
In the summer of 2009, I moved to Maine. (And no, I have never lived here. But the reasons I moved make a really long story. Join me for coffee sometime, and I’ll tell you all about it.) Being the Self-Proclaimed Starbucks Junkie that I am, I immediately scouted out the Starbucks locations within a reasonable driving distance from my Yarmouth residence:
1) Freeport Outlets
2) Falmouth, across the street from Shaws and a block or so up the road from Wal-Mart
3) Downtown Portland across the street from Bard Coffee (although Bard makes a great cup of coffee too)
Why do I waste my time/energy on Starbucks when I could have Dunkin Doughnuts, Maine Roasters (also right down the road from my residence in Yarmouth) or Bard Coffee in Portland? (*** FYI: I’ve had a cup of joe or two at Bard. I love the fact that they put artwork in my foam. And no, I don’t mean someone crafted the Mona Lisa or Starry Night in my coffee cup.)
For one, I’m not a dark-roast kind of girl. No espresso for this kid. Sorry Maine Roasters, love your hot apple cider (and really, it’s quite good), but I’ll just have to go on good authority that your cappuccinos are fantastic.
The day that Dunkin Doughnuts starts making lattes with foam and syrup and whole milk is the day that I’ll conform. But I’ve never really just been a cream/sugar-in-my-coffee kid.
The Starbucks baristas are just…so fake happy to be making my Pumpkin Spice Latte with whole milk and extra foam. At 7AM, I actually believe fake-happy people are legitimately happy.
The short answer here? Pumpkin Spice Lattes signify Fall to me because:
1) They start serving it in September
2) September means School
3) School means fall
4) Fall means changing leaves
And it all comes full circle: fall is upon us. One of my favorite times of the year, but it never REALLY sinks in until that latte is in my gloved hands. (And for the record: I don’t need a Gingerbread or Peppermint Latte from Starbucks to know that winter has arrived, either. Bitter cold is usually a good indicator.)
–Taryn “Diego” Bruette