I drink at the least 16 ounces of coffee every single morning. I’m constantly told, “Claire, you wouldn’t survive without coffee.” I didn’t believe it, but I never chose to test the theory either.

So when junior Holly Driver challenged me to give up coffee from Sunday afternoon to Friday evening, I accepted the challenge, determined to prove everyone wrong (and to win a 35-minute back massage).

The first morning was death. Who would voluntarily go through the morning without a caffeine boost? Monday mod one with Señora Michael was a daze, and I trudged through the hallways like a zombie.

By the end of mod 10 on Monday, I thought I had beaten the dreaded “caffeine withdrawal headaches.” Alas, I was not as strong as I thought, and for the first 20 minutes of field hockey practice, my entire head was pounding and screaming for caffeine.

Thanks to my routine “pick-me-up cup” at 7:00 or 8:00 p.m., I usually stay up until midnight every night doing homework or studying. However, by 7:30 p.m., my body and mind began to  surrender to fatigue.

I awoke to my dad saying my name. I was sitting upright on my bed, surrounded by a pile of AP Environmental Science notes. I looked at my clock. It was 10:00 p.m. Ten. I never go to sleep at 10:00 p.m.

The next few days went by, and gradually my endurance grew. I was determined to survive this withdrawal. Everyone was pressuring me to give in. “Why would you do this to yourself?” they said. I wasn’t in it for the back massage. It was a pride thing now. I would survive.

Friday finally came, and I honestly felt alert, awake, and independent of any caffeine cravings. I had overcome the temptations, the sleepiness, and the pain. As a congratulatory gift, I treated myself to a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks the minute I won.

I could say it made me stronger as a person, but let’s face it, I only gave up coffee for a week. It was nothing spectacular, but it was a challenge and what’s a life worth living without a challenge?

Comment below or email me at [email protected] with suggestions for any upcoming challenges you think I should consider.

Claire Grunewald is a Lifestyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.