Observation and Reflection-Starbucks

The door acts as a sort if barrier separating two completely different environments. As you cross this barrier, you go from the bitter winds biting at your skin and the sounds of angry drivers honking at one another as traffic piles up, to the calm, warm and welcoming atmosphere of Starbucks.

As you enter, your nostrils are immediately filled with the aroma of rich, warm espresso. The walls and furniture sooth you with rich earth tones of browns, reds, and oranges. The room echoes with friendly voices of employees and customers alike. It seems as though there is not a worry in the world for a single person here.

As I glance around, I notice people of all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life. The coffee house seems like a commonplace or getaway of sorts, for anyone and everyone. Near the entrance sit a mother and daughter. The daughter, sporting the latest Disney Princess apparel, looks to be about five years old. The mother, looking quite young herself, is maybe mid to late twenties. They sit together at a table sipping their drinks, cappuccino for mom and hot chocolate for daughter, obviously. The little girl take tiny sips, sticking her tongue out after each one as if having burned it, while the mother just sits there and chuckles. The begin discussing the happenings of the day, taking a walk, passing out girl scout cookies, just as dad arrives to pick them up.

On the other side of the coffee house sit two teenagers, one male and one female. It is very clear that they are on a date of some sort. They sit together in two armchairs angled towards one another. The man is dressed in a button up collared shirt striped with cool blues, purples and greens. The girl is wearing a fairly conservative jean skirt, covering three-quarters of her thighs, a brown and white polka dotted halter top covered with a tan corduroy jacket, and black open toed heels that made her at least a few inches taller. They were both quite obviously trying to impress one another. They gazed into each other eyes while deep in conversation, stopping every now and then to giggle. She then gently sets her hand on his knee as if to make some kind of connection, but they are abruptly interrupted by an employee’s voice. “Venti carmel macchiato for Julie,” he yells. She jumps up to retrieve her drink. When she returns with her drink, they pick up right where they left off.

I stand at the end of the counter, listening to the whirring of the espresso machine and the clanking of ice being shoveled into the blender, as I patiently wait for my drink. Finally, it is ready. “Grande mocha for Sylvia,” he hollers. I grab my drink and slice of pumpkin loaf and sit down at a table. I begin using my fork to slice the pumpkin loaf into chewable sized portions. With each bite, the moist and sweet pumpkin loaf leaves me wanting more. In between bites, I take sips of the warm and rich mocha. This is exactly what I need on a day like today. The door swings open from time to time, shocking my senses with the frigid wind. I take another sip to warm myself once again. On the wall next to me are three very large mirrors taking up the entire wall. The lighting is very dim, and the music being played is very mellow and relaxing, but I am unable to identify the artist.

At the table next to me sits what appears to be another collage student. She sits there listening to her I-Pod drowning out the sounds that might become distracting to her as she attempts to finish what looks to be a lengthy paper or project. She fumbles through papers, highlighting as she goes along. Then, she pulls out a Mac book and begins franticly typing. She doesn’t even budge when her drink order is called out, “Grande non-fat peppermint latte for Michelle!” The woman looks around and after only a few seconds, sets the drink on the counter and goes to make another drink. The sits there for a good five minutes untouched. Then Michelle stops typing. Realizing that her drink is ready she runs to the counter to retrieve it. When she returns, she takes a sip, sets her drink down and begins avidly typing once again.

The wind hits me again. I glance towards the door and see a woman, mid thirties. She is dressed in a dark brown two piece suit and heels. She looks very nice, as if heading to a business meeting of some kind. She walks to the counter and places her order, “One grande carmel mocha, one venti non-fat vanilla latte, one grande double white chocolate mocha, and venti peppermint latte.” After paying she walks to the end of the counter to wait. She stands there tapping her foot and checking her watch every couple minutes. She pulls out her blackberry and begins typing away. Finally, after ten minutes or so, her drinks are up. “Would you like a drink carrier for these?” the employee asks nicely. She nods her head, and once the drinks are in the carrier, she snatches them and rushes out the door.

As I take the last few drinks of my mocha, which is now very cold and mostly syrup, I think about the vast array of people that enjoy the atmosphere of the coffee shop. We tend to think as the coffee house just as a place for artists and business people, but in reality you can find people of all sorts enjoying its relaxing environment. It is the perfect place for many different activities. Whether you are on a date, spending time with your daughter or just trying to finish a paper, Starbucks is a great choice.

As my time here draws to a close, I throw away my cup and place my plate on the counter. “Thank you for coming and have a nice day,” says an employee sincerely as I walk back through the barrier. The wind slaps me in the face as I open the door. The sounds of lunch hour traffic fill the air. As I reach my car, I fight the temptation to go back inside, because this is my getaway. It is the only place where I forget the troubles of the day and just sit and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.