Oh I’m sure, it’s soooo contagious! SoCal is reopening and I believe we are about to go into phase 3 soon, let’s just say I’m relieved but also terrified all at the same time. This COVID garbage isn’t going away the experts say, but also the economy is taking a huge hit and we’ve all started to worry about money. Yes, we all wish we could remain safely isolated at home for an extended period of time, but then what happens when we can’t pay to live under that same roof we are self-isolating in? Bills are starting to pile up and I have lost all hope for a next round of stimulus payments. Now we are back at work and will soon be scheduled according to what we actually earn as a store.

Now I am more terrified about my loss of average hourly income than I am of this virus, that is so terribly sad because I know my worry should be more directly aimed towards the virus. We all need the steady paycheck but May will soon end and alas, that benefit will see it’s sunset.

I’m sitting at home writing this with a huge amount of guilt and remorse for not planning ahead financially like so many other people have done. I’m sad, depressed, and feeling extremely isolated now that I have come back to the city to work.

I miss the Starbucks that was virus safe and busy, that third place that was home to so many others. I look at my café store now with a huge weight of sadness that I desperately try to hide from my partners and regulars. The vibrant energy that was the peak of morning shifts filled with customer chatter, steam wands blowing away, and that familiar greeting from all my baristas.

Starbucks, please come back stronger than ever with a determination more powerful than any stinking virus. We have to make it through this guys, let’s help each other out and also support our workplace.

Stay safe!