For over six years, I’ve worked as a part-time barista for Starbucks, juggling a crazy schedule that includes writing, working another job in my family’s construction business, and, more recently, attending college online as part of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. Despite the hectic pace, I have loved my time as a barista, and over the years, I’ve come to really appreciate certain aspects of it.

At the end of this month, I’m leaving my role in the Starbucks stores for a different job...