On a cold, rainy day, I was in desperate need of something to save my life. I needed something to help me quickly. I could feel myself slipping away. My life was flashing before my eyes. Then, a faint light emerged. I knew this light, whatever it was, could perhaps save me.  So I viciously crawled towards it. Then, I saw what I thought was a mermaid. I soon came to find out it was a Starbucks! I then crawled weakly inside and looked at the menu. The next thing I saw put me in awe. A Pumpkin Spice Latte, oh my goodness. I was seeing combinations never seen before! Old World to New, New World to Old. How was this possible? I thought I had found the holy grail of the Columbian Exchange.

All I had to do was just picture the ingredients in my head to know what they were. Pumpkin, a legendary delicacy from the wilds of the Americas, brought over to the imperial Old World. Vanilla extract, made from the vanilla in the deep tropics of Mexico, also brought over to the Old World. Sugar, hailing from the ragged badlands of Africa, brought over to Europe, and then traded to the New World. Coffee, brewed from the coffee beans in the tropical areas of the Americas.  I knew this was the end for me. But I was so close to making it. I then took out the little change I had left and ordered that grande sized pumpkin spice latte. It took about three minutes for the kind gentleman with dreadlocks to perfect the masterpiece. Despite Sharkeishawn (the gentleman with the dreads) spelling my name wrong on the cup, I was beyond delighted to realize that I would actually make it. I then grabbed a green straw and placed that bad boy and drank it up. At that moment, I knew everything was going to be all right. It was all over.

-Micah Howard