An Old Friend or a New Enemy?

I’m sitting in a Starbucks in Regina, and I’m on holidays. That changes everything. There’s a bit more space in my head, a bit more freedom to experiment, and less pressure to stick to my usual routines. So I decided to make a small moment out of an ordinary day: I opened my calendar and marked it down—September 13, 2026, Regina—the day I tried a pumpkin spice latte again for the first time in years.

When pumpkin spice lattes first showed up, I was completely taken with them. I loved the flavor. Sure, they were too sweet for me, but I accepted the sugar overload because the taste felt worth it. It was a treat, and it felt like a seasonal signal—like fall could be ordered in a cup.

Then the bandwagon got crowded. Everybody piled on, and the whole thing started to feel noisy. It wasn’t just the drink anymore. Suddenly the flavor was everywhere. Cereal, bread, donuts, pop, tea—honestly, the list kept going. It felt like the world grabbed the idea and squeezed it until it was no longer special. So I hopped off. I didn’t want pumpkin spice to follow me down every grocery aisle.

Lately, though, I’ve noticed something. Some of those companies seem to be backing away from the whole pumpkin spice everything approach, and going back to what they normally do. The hype has cooled off a little. And that made me curious. Maybe it was safe to try again. Maybe I could have the drink without the whole circus that came with it.

So I ordered one. And yeah—it was sweet. Still sweet. But it was also good. It tasted like an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time, where you remember exactly why you liked them in the first place. I’m sitting here now, sipping it slowly, and it isn’t half bad.

Outside, the weather is starting to turn cool. The trees are beginning to shift color. Everything is leaning toward fall, and this drink fits that mood perfectly. It’s funny how a flavor can match a season, not just outside but inside you too.

I don’t know if this means I’m fully back on the pumpkin spice train, but I can tell you this: it feels like a small second start. A tiny reset. And if I’m being practical, I’ve got Starbucks cards that need to be used, and there are worse ways to spend them than on expensive drinks that make a regular afternoon feel like a mini event.

All the best. I’m heading back to my holidays. 

—letters from vacation.