Peet's Coffee & Tea

I've been a part of Peet's Coffee and Tea for around 2-3 years. It all started during my freshman year of college at UCSD when I was desperately looking for a job on campus. The sports facilities had a job that included being a cashier at a convenient store, selling foods and goodies at sport events, and working at the licensed Peet's that's connected through the office of the convenient store. I was bummed that I had to leave a great work place in hopes to pursue something else in Long Beach and decided that I should look into clothing retail as a part time job instead of a coffee job (though I did apply to several coffee places when I moved back to Orange County). I picked up a job on the spot at Forever 21 and it must've been the most dreadful job I have ever had. I knew I wouldn't really like it to begin with since I have worked in two other retail companies before. I picked up another retail job after Forever 21, but it had only ended just as sad as Forever 21, probably even worse. I somehow found my way back to a Peet's Coffee & Tea. Although it was a much further drive than all of the jobs I've ever had, I never dreaded going into work (besides waking up at 4AM for opening shifts).

It sounds silly to explain how much working at this location meant to me in just a year's worth of time, but Peet's really did make me grow and opened up the confidence that I already had in myself that everyone saw, but myself. If someone asked me what my favorite thing was about working there, I'd have a hard time answering that. I really loved the environment; I loved walking into the smell of coffee, I loved working with every one of my co-workers, I loved making drinks at the bar, and I loved my regular customers.

Since I knew that I was going to leave since August/September, in hopes of studying abroad at the time, I was planning on putting together a Peet's book for myself. Of course I put it off until the two or three weeks before I actually left Peet's (my last day was the day before my flight to England). Even then, I didn't finish the book until some time in February while I was in England. The book consisted of pictures of my co-workers and at the end, polaroids of regular customers. I pestered my regular customers for about a week, asking if I could take a picture of them. It'd be the same conversation every time. I'd explain to them I'm leaving the company to study abroad and they'd ask where and what I'm studying and they'd give me advice to what it's like there. I've gotten the usual advice such as "it's really wet and gloomy" and "it's really cold there right now". And then I got the really weird advice such as "you should check out the lambs" and "oh my god you have to see the sock store".

It has yet to hit me that when I come back, I no longer work there and I can't get discounted drinks anymore. Unfortunately, when I come back, I have to look for a retail job since it is required for a class I'll be taking for my major.