Guest blog: You're not one of us until you drink coffee

I’ve been a big tea lover since I was a child. Our breakfast table wasn't complete without a teapot. Even my father – a coffee drinker through and through – always started his day with a cup of tea. This tradition happily continued in high school. Doing difficult math problems, translating French texts... it all went a lot easier while enjoying an Earl Grey.

When I started college, I swapped Earl Grey for fresh mint tea. A green plant in a glass of hot water. What you call an absolute sensation! Moreover, it turned out to be an excellent hangover remedy. After a cup of mint tea, all the wines from the night before were quickly forgotten. During one of these hungover mornings, I solemnly vowed never to succumb to evil; coffee.

That changed when I started working. On my first day of work – I had already been hired, luckily – my boss asked me how I drank my coffee. Sheepishly, I replied that I didn't like coffee. He turned livid. How dare I not drink coffee. Didn't I know that all good conversations took place at the coffee machine? And that I would miss all the important ins and outs about the company? I didn't care much. I kept my promise and drank tea diligently for the first few months.

Until one dreary Friday afternoon, I was working on a boring Excel task. One of my colleagues wanted to ease the pain and gave me a cappuccino. Hesitantly, I took a sip. I couldn't believe it! Why hadn't I done this much sooner? The combination of fresh coffee and frothed milk was divine. Since then, I've fallen from grace and occasionally drink coffee. An added bonus: I am now indeed much better informed about the goings-on in the office. For example, during my last visit to the coffee machine, I overheard that one of my male colleagues danced on the bar in a red dress last weekend in a wild mood. A piece of news I absolutely wouldn't have wanted to miss.

So it's really true. You only belong if you drink coffee.

Guest blogger: Lisanne Buijsse