Breaking up is hard to do...

Those of you who know me in real life probably know that I have a little accessory that's pretty much always with me. To work, to a friend's, out running errands... it's always there. I almost look and feel strange without it. It goes with everything, really. It's never out of season. It's become a part of me.

You know what it is.

Je t'aime, mon amour.

For the past 3.5 years now, my life has been one big BYODDP party. I know that several people have seen me, on occasion, reach into my purse and pull out one of these bad boys. I'm infamous for it. But I wasn't always like this. I had a life before DDP, a life full of hope, H₂0, and occasional (yet not overwhelming) fatigue.

Then grad school hit. HOW can one person be expected to do so much at a time?! I needed caffeine, and I needed it badly. I continued to try coffee (yuck!), to no avail. So I picked up this little habit. Before grad school, I never kept any cokes in the house, and just had a regular DP on occasion while out. It did take me a while to get accustomed to the taste (vs. regular DP), but once I realized that DDP could provide what I needed (caffeine) without what I really DIDN'T need (calories), it was a done deal.

Actual picture from my fridge during grad school.

(Photographic evidence that j'ai un problème.)

For those of you who think that this may be a good time to rail into me about the unhealthy affects of drinking soda... no need. I am a grown up (kind of) with a fully functional brain and the ability to read. I understand that this is unhealthy. I've always known I'd stop ("once I got settled into a non-ridiculous schedule" - never going to happen, btdubbs), but now I have a stopping point set in stone (a stopping stone, if you will), as there is (basically) no Dr Pepper of any variety in France. I actually happen to be quite thankful for the excuse to get my act together and quit.

That said, I am now (as of today!) embarking on a "Au revoir soda, Bonjour France" plan. Yes, this situation necessitates a plan. I can't just up and quit, because as of right now if I don't have my caffeine I look like some mixture of this:

Can't figure out where this came from originally,

but I got it from a Google search and wonderfulinfo.com.

... and this:

Actual screen shot from a video of me when I was about 4 years old.
(For good measure, here's a link to its
corresponding video, have you any interest.
Fair warning, it has not one single thing to do with France.)

So, obviously I can't just quit cold turkey for fear I will turn into a KatyDragon and anger/alienate all my friends and relatives (or perhaps spontaneously combust) before I leave. I have made a plan, involving a special calendar and slowly reducing beverage sizes (12 oz > 9 oz > 6 oz). (That reminds me about how you have to slowly increase baby bottle size from 2.5 oz to 3 oz, etc. Which makes me feel a little weird. Like there's some sort of full-circle/Benjamin Button thing going on here. I know that reference doesn't really make sense, but whatever. That movie freaks me out, okay?)

I'm sorry, Miss Jackson - I am for real.

So, yeah. I'm probably unique in that my plans for moving out of the country have to include kicking an addiction. (Also, if you are my real life friend and have to see me in the next few weeks... tread lightly. And... I'm sorry, in advance.)