My life at Starbucks

When you tell someone you work at Starbucks, they assume one of two things: you are a student needing part-time work in between classes or a mom needing part-time work to maintain your sanity. I am neither. When I tell them this, that I have finished school and carry a bachelors degree, there is a hesitated resposne that goes something like..."well...er...they have...um...great coffee"...or..."oh...I see. Good for you"...I just smile and go about my way, remindig myself their opinion doesn't matter much and that I am not a failure. It's really quite annoying, actually.

My dream: To someday own and operate a bakery that uses whole and fresh and unrefined ingredients...to spread the idea of mindfulness of what we are putting in our bodies while still enjoying the simple pleasure of a warm chocolate chip cookie strait from the oven or enjoying breakfast - a cinnamon and oat crunch scone - and a hot cup of tea - with a friend...and especially to create an environment for people to just be (I have actually considered calling it Just Be Bakery)...An environment where all are welcome, the prices aren't outrageous, a place where you are recognized and appreciated and treated with kindness...and sent on your way with yummy healthy goodies, to enjoy with the people in your life that you love. That is my vision. Working at Starbucks is excellent experience for someday creating a business of my own. Climbing their management ladder (as much as it pains me to do it at times) provides me the background and real life experience of running a business, but the safety of doing it under the wing of someone else, without the pressure of failing miserably and losing all of my money and investment. Let's be honest folks. The business side of things is NOT my strongpoint. Being able to learn from a company that clearly has a good hold on how to do it is invaluable for where I hope to end up.

At the end of the day, future goals and alterior motives and others expectations aside, I love where I work. I sincerely enjoy my job. Don't get me wrong; it has it's off days. But to be somewhere that enables me to interact with people on a daily basis, provide them with something they truly enjoy, and actually enjoy the partners I do it with...that's a blessing. I lived in Florida last year. Mostly alone. I enjoyed my job and my co-workers, but at the end of the day, I wen't home to a lot of emptiness. Since working at Starbucks, I have found a room-mate to live with at the end of the summer, a yoga buddy, a co-ed softball team, a friend to visit churches with, a book club to attend every other sunday night, where recently we have been discussing modern Christianity and its contrast to post-modern Christianity, what that looks like, and the logic behind it all. Last night we had a girls night...sushi...which I don't like. But I do like great ambiance, and the place we went had it. I had chicken lettuce wraps and a glass of wine and the making of some great friendships, the company of people that I truly enjoy. All of this because I work at Starbucks. I like to believe that God had a hand in it all...that there was a reason that I did want to work there, a reason why Ben hired me right after my interview, an hour before another interview at a different location...a place where I could truly begin to find a community of friends.

I have been wondering lately where I will end up, where I will go. I have been actually praying about it, and praying for a reason to be here, to stay. After sitting here and writing it all out, I think that I have more than just a reason. I have many.