What I've Learned From My Year At Starbucks.

The title makes this sound like a grade school essay. 

Anyway, Sunday is my last day, most likely forever, working at Starbucks. In my recent bout of insomnia, I've been thinking. A lot. Which, I admit, I enjoy. It's good to have my own ideas. It ceases to be fun when it's four in the morning and I can count on one hand the hours of sleep I will get before getting up to work an eight-hour day at the mall. But still. Insomnia's the reason I'm writing, so that's good, right? (RIGHT). 

Throughout these last few weeks, they being my last, my coworkers have been asking me various questions, all along the lines of "Are you excited you're leaving soon?" "Aren't you sad you're leaving?" "Won't you miss this?" 

That last one was usually said in sarcasm. 

Truth be told, I will miss it. I also won't miss it. I'll miss most of my coworkers and some of the mall employees I've gotten to know over the last year(ish). I'll miss the occasional really fun days or closing shifts. I'll miss earning my own money. I won't miss the stress, my feet and back aching, my clothes smelling like sour milk and syrups. I won't miss middle school girls asking "Do you know the secret menu?" and making me write obviously fake names on their cups (Yes, I've gotten Mrs. Beiber). I won't miss the rude customers or the zoo the store becomes on the weekends. But still, it was part of my life and my routine, and no matter how much one dislikes something, if it is routine and it is changed, the loss is there. 

Back to the original point of this post-- what I've learned, good and bad. Bullet point time. 

• Adapting isn't really that hard.  
• Some people have weird-ass names. Many will get mad if you cannot spell it right.  
• Being convincingly fake-nice to people is a skill.  
• The customer is not always right. In fact, the customer is usually wrong. But...
• If you want to keep your job, the customer is always right. 
• Indians have cool names.
• The best people often aren't whom you expect. 
• South Charlotte women need to lay off the botox and makeup. 
• The majority of people are mundane-- not intelligent, uninspiring. 
• Middle schoolers with iPhones are worse than middle schoolers without. 
• Guys are creepy and girls are slutty. 
• Parking decks are scary at night. 
• You end up respecting different people after a few months than whom you respected at first.
• You can't dye short hair blonde without being called Draco and Slim Shady and Miley.
• Everyone has a life story. Many are worth hearing. 

There's more, but my brain is like heeeeyyyyit'sfourinthemorninggotosleep. I'll remember it later. Maybe make a part two. Who knows. 

Good night.