Tall decaf caramel latte, please.

My job has barely even started and I already love it.  There is something about working with coffee that makes me enjoy work a little bit more.  Its just a certain art that goes with making a perfect latte;  I don’t know that I will ever get sick of it.  There are parts of it I know I will hate, like closing up at night and being there by myself, but I’m looking forward to getting comfortable at work and knowing what I’m doing.  Training has been going very well.  I’m catching on quickly and I think I just might be alright next week when they expect me to do it on my own.  

One of the things I’m especially enjoying about having a job is the interaction I get with the people of Spokane.  I’ve already learned a lot about the city and its starting to feel more comfortable.  Despite the fact that it is so spread out, giving it the illusion of a very large city, Spokane actually feels much more like a smaller town.  The way people interact with each other, the way they dress, the way they live is not that different from home.  People are kind to each other, something I’ve noticed especially in the way they drive.  I have to remind myself once in a while that it is a big city and I have to be more careful than at home.  Danny doesn’t let me forget very often (I’m so glad he’s here).  

Some things are different from home though.  One of them is the large number of homeless people that Spokane has.  On my first day at work the girl who was training me gave a me a sincere warning, instructing me on how to act if I was approached by a someone who is homeless.  It wasn’t any big deal.  It was just a fact of life for her, something she’d grown up with, some wisdom she could pass on to the “new girl.”  I haven’t been approached yet, but I don’t know if I could ever get used to having to ignore these people.  I think there are also a lot more drug issues, more thefts, and more Mormons.

One thing, though, has really caught my eye and made my heart ache a little bit.  There are a lot of teen or single moms.  It could just be the circle I’m in – the manager at my store just had a baby and has several friends who are single moms, but I seem to see them wherever I go.  I don’t know if this is a real trend or if it’s just all in my head, but there is definitely a pull on my heart for these girls.  There is a crisis pregnancy center in town that I’ve been planning to visit, so hopefully I’ll be able to get plugged in there.  

So, as I get settled into this new town, I am praying for opportunities to connect with people whether it’s at school or at work.  I’m looking forward to what’s in store for me in this place.  

 

Question for my readers:  What is your coffee drink of choice?