I don't remember when Starbucks first announced that it would be opening a chain in Quincy. This is a relatively small city of only 50,000 or so (if you include the surrounding communities of Mendon, Liberty, so on) and we have been continually passed up by the bigger chains like Target, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster. Office Max closed years ago only to be replaced by Staples and then by Best Buy. We got a TJ Maxx, an Old Navy, but there were some big-city luxuries that we figured would be out of our reach until we managed a building that slipped past eight stories. So was Starbucks a big deal? At first, yes. It meant "gourmet" coffee, a few more jobs, and a name that people in town would recognize and enjoy without having to wait until they could get to Springfield or St. Louis. It meant we were special, one of only a few thousand stores in the USA, and it hailed a new era in our existence.

You see, the first time I had a Mocha Frappuchino was in high school. We were on a trip to somewhere-or-other and a friend of mine recommended that I try it, since at the time I had no interest in coffee. I was immediately addicted, but upon coming home my only option were the glass bottled ice-less substitutes that I had no palate for. I looked forward to the opportunity to get fresh Starbucks after that, since I was only given the chance when we were somewhere special and unique that we didn't often get to go. Starbucks meant fun memories because I wasn't in Quincy, I was in Atlanta or Orlando or Chicago. It meant I was doing something I may not get to do again.

So, yes, I was naturally excited. I thought I had every good reason to be. But once I had the option of procuring overpriced mid-grade coffee every day, pre-made so that I didn't have to mess with it myself, I found that I was no longer as interested. $4 coffee became too expensive when there were diapers, formula, and groceries to buy that were more expensive, and for that matter, I could just as easily make my own Frappuchinos at home that I could customize without having to pay extra. Best of all, my home coffee shop never closed, and I never had to worry about getting there before the doors opened.

Starbucks quickly lost its perk. I no longer looked forward to the experience because it wasn't unique. Going to Starbucks didn't mean that I was anywhere interesting or fun, it didn't mean that I was doing something memorable. I had no reason to care about the allure of Starbucks, and as quickly as I had grown attached to the coffee, I stopped caring. I couldn't afford it and could make better stuff at home, which was exactly what I started to do.

Losing a Starbucks - although I have no idea if ours will go or not - will not particularly affect me. I can't say it will go over well, and it will be a loss for a number of reasons, but I won't feel anything more than some slight disappointment if it closes. C'est la vie - and home-made coffee.