One wish fulfilled

While in college, from my sophomore year through senior year, I worked at Starbucks. I loved, loved working there! It was such a great atmosphere with a staff primarily of college aged kids, and because we were a neighborhood Starbucks we had a lot of regular customers.


Here is a quick example to show why I loved working for a neighborhood coffee shop. During a particularly stressful part of my senior year I was scheduled to open the store and then head to Houston for an interview (with the company I would eventually work for after graduating). Opening the store meant that I had to be at the store at 5:15, waking up closer to 4:45. On my way in, I got a flat tire. Needless to say, I was a mess about it! I wouldn't have time to take it to a tire store to replace, work my shift, and drive the three hours to Houston in time for my interview. One of our regular customers heard about my morning and offered to take my car into the shop, have the tire replaced, and let me pay him pack after pay-day all while I finished out my shift. The generosity he showed me that day was amazing to me! Would you do all of that for a barista who works where you pick up your morning coffee?


I have mixed emotions about Starbucks these days, but I will always think back on working in our neighborhood store in Waco and remember great people and a lot of fun times. While in Seattle this weekend for our 'babymoon', David and I stopped in at the first Starbucks, opened in 1971 by two teachers and a writer. I think the company has morphed substantially from their initial vision, where you couldn't find a cup of coffee or a latte, but instead found roasted beans, a variety of spices, and teas, but I do feel very lucky to have worked for such a great company and to see their roots was one wish that I've always had. More about our trip to Seattle will come soon!