Why Starbucks On the Road is Like Being at Home

~~zzziiinnggg~~~

It’s been a hard day’s night; And I been working like a dog.

It’s been a hard day’s night; I should be sleepin’ like a log.

Ever hear a song and get that warm-fuzzy-at-home feeling? I’m reminded of that homey feeling whenever I hear a Beatles tune. A Hard Day’s Night is one of my favs but Hey Jude still ranks numero uno in my book. No matter, whenever I hear a Beatles song I instantly feel at home.

But it’s not only a song by the Fab Four that makes me feel like I’m sitting on the porch watching the sun set into the Pacific. Other things do it for me too.

Because I travel quite frequently now that I’m back in the regular workforce, anytime I can be reminded of home, I take advantage of it. That might be a plate of yellow curry at a Thai restaurant or simply a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Why would a cup of Verona make me feel at home? I drink Starbucks coffee at home. I drink Starbucks coffee in airports. I drink it in hotels. (Sensing a pattern here?) So instead of a cup of Starbucks being an early morning treat for me, it’s a reminder of my normal life waiting back home in Aptos.

Recently I’ve been shuttling back and forth to Southern California: San Diego, El Centro, Palm Springs, Ontario, Los Angeles. Because I also carry a Blackberry device I can easily and rapidly search the internet for a location near my hotel. Locating the nearest retail Starbucks Coffee is almost as habitual as drinking the stuff when I’m on the road.

I not a road warrior, but If I were I’d know just where to go to feel connected. I used to feel that way whenever I’d walk into a Borders Books or a Barnes & Noble bookstore. But anymore, they’ve become superstores with even less customer service.

Maybe it’s the eye contact and pleasant faces that helps Starbucks make such a favorable impression on me.

Or maybe it’s just the caffeine.

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