If you had asked me one year ago to imagine myself living in Europe and not drinking alcohol, I would have thought you were crazy. But if you had said to imagine this unfortunate visual in addition to a newfound love for instant coffee, I would have thought I was being Punk’d.

Seriously- Instant Coffee (can it even be a pronoun)? I knew Europeans drank it, but I thought it was more out of necessity, not because they enjoyed it. They clearly did not have enough room for coffee makers, I told myself. Maybe they mainly go out for coffee (I mean, it’s Europe, after all) and on the off-chance they’re home and need a jolt, they’ll reach for the Nescafe and cringe.

Finding myself on a budget and eating nearly every meal at home before sprinting to the next excursion, I’ve been reaching for the Nescafe. Every day. No filters. No grinding coffee beans. No cleaning the coffee maker or worrying about breaking the glass coffee pot.

What is Instant Coffee? It’s a hell of a lot easier and cheaper than drip coffee, and I have to admit- it’s pretty good stuff. The Europeans are onto something.