Besides being obsessed with tv shows, being a student, and constantly having nervous breakdowns, I’m also a barista at least five hours a shift, Sunday through Wednesday. I’ve been working at the Starbucks on campus for 2 years now, and at this point I know nothing but Starbucks. Last semester, I tried to order a grande hot chocolate… from Einstein’s. I was confused as to why the woman was confusingly staring at me, until I realized my embarrassing blunder. We grow, we make mistakes, that’s in the past though.
Working at Starbucks has introduced me to things I’ve never known before–so I want to introduce them to you. For starters, after 10 seconds, expresso shots “die” so if your latte tastes like a dirt based energy drink, that’s most likely why. I also know how many times I can physically burn myself within an hour into my shift (like I said, we make mistakes). However, one of the most valuable things that I’ve done is met some amazing people with amazing personalities. Some of my coworkers have turned into people that have helped me with my mental health journey, guiding and aiding me through my tears.
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There’s Miles. If you’ve ever stepped foot into the store, you should know this vibrant personality. Miles has the energy that holds the store together, and will never not put a smile on your face.
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Kenisha has the tough exterior, but deep deep down, she’s a softy. She’s like my work mom without being a work mom. She knows my personal struggles and is always willing to work with me, even if I’m hard to deal with.
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Kofo, who I proclaim the new frap queen of the store, is my soft skinned light of my life. She knows who ‘Kira’ is outside of Starbucks and just knows I’m up to something.
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Joe, also known as Astro, loves yelling my name out of nowhere because he knows it’ll scare me to death, but he’s my hero.
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Destiny, I just met, but she’s this little spark of energy that ignores my crazy but is there for my hardships. Also her doggo Jefe is just the cutest.
This isn’t everyone I’ve worked with and I’m friends with in the store, but these specific 5 people have seen me at my low on multiple occasions.
Also, being a barista means getting to experiment with flavors to create drinks that aren’t even on the secret menu. Like sometimes I drink straight up flavored milk but when I’m actually feeling like a scientist, I go over to the frap bar and ponder: “How can I mess up my stomach today?” So I’ll end this with some drinks I personally like, and I hope you’ll like too:
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Vanilla bean frappuccino with java chips
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Blueberry green tea with lemonade (10 pumps of classic if you like things sweet sweet)
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Caramel Iced Coffee with two extra pumps of caramel syrup and classic syrup
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Strawberry acai with lemonade
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Strawberry acai with coconut milk a.k.a known as the “Pink Drink”
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Literally just a cup of apple juice
Come by our store and get hyped up because ALL of our drinks have caffeine, even the water. I’m kidding, the water has no caffeine but at this point, it might as well.