For the past two months, Peet’s Coffee in the Vons shopping center has become my haven; while zoning out from studying for AP Gov or taking a brain break from college applications, I’ve taken moments to remove one AirPod so that I could listen to the ambiance: Lauryn Hill playing in the background, coffee beans grinding, the baristas greeting their regulars by name.

I envied that casual kind of relationship other regulars had with the baristas, but baristas terrified me with their tattoos, nonchalant vibes, and appreciation for coffee (which is very mature indeed). I rarely ordered my peppermint hot chocolate at the counter but instead did so on the Peet’s app. 

I wanted my barista to know my name and I wanted to know theirs. In the most harrowing social interaction of this column thus far, I entered Peet’s Coffee at 1:43 p.m., but instead of defaulting to sitting at an open table, like I usually do, I situated myself at the coffee bar—which was located a bar away from the barista packaging coffee beans.

After a long back and forth with myself, at 2:30, I began.

“Hi, my name’s Caitlynn,” I said. 

And from that simple start, I learned that Jeremy has been working at Peet’s for almost five years. If you showed him a face and told him their name, he could tell you that person’s order. He’s more likely, however, to put an order to a face rather than a name; he knew that I liked peppermint hot chocolate and that I usually sat at a table instead of the bar. Before I started the conversation, he noticed I made more frequent eye contact with him than usual.

I asked him what he recommended for a beginner coffee drinker. Cold brew: smooth, no acidity. Havana: sweet with condensed milk. Dark chocolate mocha: unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, with simple syrup, chocolate sauce, and two shots of espresso.

After graduating from Mt. Carmel, where he says he had been introverted and involved in track and field for four years, Jeremy attended community college for three years, and last year received his Bachelor’s in public health at UCSD. With the aim of becoming a physician’s assistant, he’s transitioning out of his job at Peet’s to work as a medical assistant.

I learned all of this about him in just a few minutes of chatting.

Our conversation came to a natural end 15 minutes later. Twenty minutes after that, Jeremy told me that he powerlifts, and I thought he was flexing on me initially, but he wanted me to know that he has hobbies. He proudly boasted that he can squat 405, bench 270, and deadlift 465.

Unfortunately, I also found out that he likes EDM and goes to raves. 

After, he took my order: a dark chocolate mocha per his recommendation. Ready to pay, he said, “This one’s on me.”

I’m a coffee shop girl who hates the taste of coffee. I despise the scent of coffee beans that lingers on my clothes and in my hair when I come home, but something keeps me coming back to Peet’s. There’s a warm comfort, like a cup of peppermint hot chocolate, but when I  step out of my comfort zone to try something new, like a dark chocolate mocha and talking to Jeremy, I walk out of the coffee shop with more than a new drink in my hand.