A Little Bit of Reflection

It's slightly (read abundantly!) overwhelming to think through everything that I've been through in the past five days. I've come into existence, tried out a few career options, met a relative, and feel like I've constantly been on the move to experience things. Thankfully, the last day and a half has been quiet. I've been able to have some low-key moments and really enjoy my surroundings!

Yesterday, my time in the lab was so crazy that the girl decided to treat me to some ice cream and to take me walking around downtown Zionsville. It is such a quaint little town...we even sat on a bench and watched some kids play baseball in the neighboring park for a few minutes. It had a cozy feel to it and I would really love to spend more time there!

After that, we met up with Jon so I could go back to his apartment since that's where I've been all week. Once we got back, I went straight to bed and had what I categorize as the best night's sleep I've had in my entire life! It was amazing!

The biggest thing that happened today was to go to the gym for the first time. I'm pretty sure everything in there could either squish me or send me flying across the room! My muscles were not built for this display of strength. I mean, I AM a cup - my muscles are little bits of plastic melded together.  Let's be real. Cups are not supposed to work out. I'll admit that nothing will change! Oh, and me on a treadmill was an utter disaster. It was rather amusing for others, I'm sure, but there is no possible way for me to use one of those devices one can only assume was invented for some evil purpose. I also was less than amused when a new game was invented to see how far a treadmill would throw me at various speeds. It was a good thing I didn't have much to eat!

Other than yet another near-death experience, today has been quiet. I've gotten to hang around the apartment and reflect on this week. I still have no idea what I'm going to do for a job. Coffee slinging was no good....science is too complicated and detailed for my brain capacity...my only hope could be shadowing Original Ian. I have no idea what he does yet but I'm trying to believe that it will be a perfect fit!

Someday, I might have this whole thing called "life" figured out a bit more. I'm still confused about so many things. I just want to know that there IS actually a place for me in this world! I've been trying to read a little today and start to educate myself on many topics. This is only the beginning. My head feels like it's in a constant fog of emotions. My first goal is learning to control these emotions since I still don't know how to deal with them most of the time.

Rumor is, Original Ian returns from his great travels tonight. I cannot wait to meet the person after whom I was named! This seems almost as important as meeting Randy. I can only hope he likes me and looks past the craziness of his two friends. Who else would be so kind to take in a strange cup?

I'm quite thankful for the uneventful day I've had today! I'm sure that won't last long...but you know what I say to that??

Bring it on.

Exploring Zionsville

This place is so quaint...I love it

She Blinded Me With Science

Why hello again! I have to say...the last 36-ish hours have been jam-packed full of more new experiences than one could count. Randy and I spend all of yesterday morning hanging out with Jon. After lunch, we had to drop Randy off at the bus stop. It was time for him to go back home, but we are going to stay in touch from here on out. Who knew when I came into existence four days ago that I would have been through so much in such a short amount of time! I went to work with Jon again, but this time I decided to just hang out in the back room. My public coffee slinging days are over - I needed to figure out another career possibility.

I like sports!

At this point, Jon told me that the girl was coming to pick me up. I was going to actually spend the night at her apartment and would shadow her at work the next day. This sounded like a fantastic idea to me because I knew her job is so different from Jon's! I honestly didn't know HOW much, though...

The girl is a scientist. Specifically, she is a chemist and works in a lab. I had zero clue what I would be in for...but I shouldn't jump ahead! We'll get there soon enough.

 Spending the night at the girl's apartment was a great deal of fun! Once we got back, there was another World Cup soccer match on. The girl was much more subdued this time - presumably because the US wasn't playing this time. It was still a fantastic time watching and we totally bonded! The match ended in heartbreaking fashion for England and I learned how much of an emotional roller coaster sports watching could actually be.

I'm ready for camping now

Bedtime Stories are the BEST

Now it was time for bed - I was in a sleeping bag on the floor next to her bed and it was surprisingly more comfortable than I had expected! It wasn't as comfy as the bed that I've been privileged to occupy for the last few nights but so what? I was having a grand old time and was proud of it! The girl even tucked me in and read some bedtime stories. She started with Paradise Lost but that was a bit to heavy for me. She switched to Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and now I feel like I always need to carry a towel...and I really related to the poor Sperm Whale and the flower pot!!

This morning, we headed to the laboratory. I figured there would be a lot of cool stuff happening but was completely overwhelmed! First of all, everything was bigger than me. I kept getting lost and left behind in places. The girl had to be super precise with everything and there was SO MUCH paperwork! She also had to deal with a lot of numbers - so many, that it would probably be an accountant's dream if they had any semblance of a clue what those numbers meant. I loved my day at the lab but I'm totally NOT a science cup! I had to have two Lysol wipe baths just to make sure I got all the weird science germs off myself.

 Wearing gloves is important - and I clearly can't do that (as seen above)! I also got lost in a forest of graduated cylinders and forgotten in a cabinet! It's also terrifying how many biohazard and flammable signs are around that place. There are also a lot of instruments that make loud sounds. The girl assured me that it all seemed a lot more complicated than it actually was. Honestly, I don't believe her! As for me, I have no idea what I'm going to do for a career at this point. What can a little styrofoam cup actually do in this world? I thought I might be able to find something quickly, but it seems that more experimentation and introspection is required. And so...the journey continues!

I got left in the walk-in freezer. I mean, come on...

The Ballad of Starbucks Randy

As promised, I'm going to detail for you Randy's story and how we came to develop a strong bond in quick fashion!

Recall that I went to Starbucks to shadow Jon in order to evaluate that particular option as a career path. Randy had been visiting from his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. Jon thought it might be nice to have another fellow cup as a friend, so he made sure to introduce us straight away. We started off with the usual pleasantries and small talk but then we both mentioned how we had a particularly crazy relative. I started to tell Randy about crazy Grandpa Ebenezer, who was well known for his sarcastic nature and rambunctious antics. Randy's eyes grew wide. He asked if Ebenezer was known for throwing mashed potatoes up against a wall then blaming his kids for it. It was my turn to have a wide-eyed stare. We had the SAME Grandpa Ebenezer!

Grandpa Ebenezer, in his prime

Technically, Ebenezer is our Great Great Grandpa...but he is a family legend. He is of the Red Solo line of cups but married a lovely crystal goblet named AnnaBeth. It was a major scandal! They had ten children and were the happiest little family of cups one could imagine! One was Jerry - a founding member of the Starbucks corporation. This is Randy's Great Grandpa. Another was Ray - MY Great Grandpa. All he was known for was "rediscovering" a Swedish inventor's idea; an idea for which his company managed to procure the rights. Many people outside the family think he's a genius...but the family gave him all sorts of grief. Anyway, back to Randy...

Growing up, Randy knew all about the family legacy and knew he had a trust fund worth a crazy amount of money. He lead a really charmed life as a kid and has many fond memories but as he got older he found himself always in the middle of arguments and fights. He started to realize that his friends were just hanging around because of all the exclusive events and places they got to go to because of him. He started to spiral into a depression and cut off all of his family. He left all of his possessions in Seattle and became a nomad, hitchhiking around the country trying to find himself. He traveled for three years before ending up in Kentucky. He met a nice homeless man named Frank and ended up being his change cup for six months. Frank was influential in helping turn Randy's life around. He told Randy to make the most of every moment and take nothing for granted...but he still needed to take chances and realize that life isn't all about himself - help other people and continue to learn every day. Be humble and aware of how your actions affect others. Randy decided in that moment that he needed to change course. He found a job at a local independent coffee shop and worked his way up from Tip Jar to Supervisor of Animate and Inanimate Cups (he tried to change the name once...thought the distinction was weird...they refused). He never wanted to try to get a job at any Starbucks because he knew it would be way too easy and was determined to make his own way in the world. Once he saved up enough money, he opened his own Starbucks location which is where he still is today. Oh...Frank works for him now and is no longer homeless!

We met because he was in Indy for a Midwest Starbucks Owner's meeting. He was visiting a friend at Jon's Starbucks which is how we ended up being in the same place at the same time. He actually extended his trip because of me and it has been so amazing to learn his background! Randy has since reconnected with the rest of his family and promised to take me out to Seattle sometime in the near future. He was so open and honest - more real than I could probably be with someone who was, for all intents and purposes, a perfect stranger. We had several deep discussions about life in general over the past few days and I know my life has forever been altered by the wisdom Randy has imparted on me. I will forever be grateful for those lessons! I would say it's a fair bet that we've both made a new friend for life. We ARE distant cousins, after all!

Everyone knows that cousins are the best.

Soccer, Starbucks, and Surprises

WELL. Today has been an incredible day! It was full of lessons and intriguing surprises. I suppose I should mention what happened yesterday first, though...I neglected to tell that part of the story in my post last night. 

I woke up in a bed that was 50 times my size to the smell of coffee. I have also learned that I love coffee. I love everything about it! The smell, the taste, the feeling like the air around me was buzzing...it was all amazing. It was such a nice, quiet morning sitting around Original Ian and Jon's apartment and I spent the rest of the day contemplating what kind of job I might like. Jon suggested that, since I seemed to enjoy coffee so much, I should shadow him at Starbucks the next day. I decided that was a lovely idea and would gladly accompany him! I was so excited to learn more about this magical drink that made me feel like I was flying! Jon and I hung out a bit and watched some television - also a new experience. That is an addictive little hobby! Eventually, we decided that sleep was necessary. Jon knew it would be a hard day for me so he tucked me back into my bed and I fell asleep within minutes. I'm going to have a really hard time giving up this cozy bed, I won't lie!

This morning was a super early morning. Apparently this kind of thing is normal. Who does that, though? If that's what it means to have a job then I may need to reconsider this position. I was a mix of equal parts excitement, nervous, and trepidation. It turned out to be a whirlwind of a day...and I don't love coffee as much as I did 10 hours previously. It became clear that my diminutive size is a major disadvantage to making other people's coffee! I do NOT think I shall be pursuing a career as a Starbucks barista any time soon!

One crazy thing did happen as a result of my limited experience of public coffee slinging - I met my distant relative, Randy!!! He is a wonderful little Starbucks cup that has the same aspirations as I do. We teamed up today and managed to make one successful frappuccino for a nice lady when a group of middle school girls walked in and ordered a dozen of them. 

I. Hate. Frappuccinos. They can die a horrible, fiery death and I wouldn't care. At all.

Long story short, I nearly ended up in a blender while trying to make this massive frapp order. Jon saved me before the blender was turned on. After going through THAT near-death experience, it was time to go home. Jon was gracious enough to let Randy hang out so that he and I could trade life stories. I'll go into detail about Randy's background in another blog post - there is SO much. Needless to say, I had a wonderful afternoon learning about part of my family!

That's when Jon suggested that we all go meet up with the girl and her friend to watch the Women's World Cup Semifinal against Germany. I asked what that meant and he responded that it was this game called soccer. He explained the basics of the game and we decided that it sounded like great fun! So off we go, once again...

The girl was decked out in red, white, and blue. It's a thing to support a national team by making yourself as ridiculous as possible, it would seem - she was not alone! Randy happens to be quite the fan of soccer so he was engrossed in the match from the start. Everyone was patient with me as I tried to catch on to how the whole thing worked. There was chanting, gasping, yelling, and a LOT of loud cheering...I've never seen anything like it! I really could get into this sports thing. The camaraderie is unlike anything this world has shown me so far. I ended up getting swept up in the emotion of it all and it was fantastic! The girl scared me with her intensity but I was assured that was normal and I would get used to it. We'll see. The home team won so the place went crazy...and that means they get to play one more game to win the whole thing. I don't know if my heart can take it! I may need to cut back on the amount of coffee I drink that day if I end up watching that match.

There are so many other things that I want to say, but I'm so tired that I've nearly fallen asleep numerous times while typing all of this! Hopefully, I can go into more detail about everything tomorrow. Until then, have a wonderful night and GO TEAM USA!

USA! USA! USA!

Hello World!

Greetings all! I suppose I should answer one important question first - yes, I am indeed a styrofoam cup. I know it may seem slightly obtuse for a styrofoam cup to be blogging but I'm just trying to figure out my place in the world. I just want to share the story of one ordinary little cup who dreams of being extraordinary. Now - where to start...

I guess I should just start at the beginning, as all epic tales tend to do. I came into existence on a chilly June evening when some strange person who'd had a ridiculous amount of coffee couldn't sit still during dinner. He was hanging out with a friend of his and from what I could gather they tend to hang out with a third person - another "Ian". Thus, my name was bestowed upon me. It would seem that this other Ian had gone away on a journey and had left the two of them behind. I felt kind of sad for them, really. They had been abandoned...and I was starting to be nervous that I was going to likewise be abandoned! I had this feeling of dread that I was just going to be thrown away and left to watch the world decompose around me. I had no idea what would await me when I was picked up and taken outside of the only place I had ever known to exist.

The guy decided, I think on a whim, that he was going to take me with him. I didn't know what nefarious deed he had planned on but as least I wasn't alone! He tried to get the girl to laugh by pretending I was talking to her...I couldn't tell if she was genuinely amused or not. He put me in his mode of transportation (I think it's called a "car") and we started on our own journey. I'm a cup, so I can't see a thing out of the windows. All I could see was blue. He also played what I have since learned is called "music" at a terrifying level. My ability to hear has since recovered, so at least there's that. After what seemed to be hours and hours, we arrived at our destination. The guy picks me up and shows the girl that I still, in fact, exist. She implored him to take me with them but he refused. He actually tried to just leave me on her car as a victim of whatever slight breeze or stray creature might come my way. I, again, was exceedingly nervous. The girl took pity on me and put me inside her car for safekeeping as they went to the next restaurant.

Now, it was dark. I couldn't see anything. I heard noises. I knew I was safe inside the girl's car but they had left me by myself in this strange new part of the world. I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted in this life. What did I like? What did I want to do? What could a styrofoam cup actually accomplish? I became quite the philosopher in that time. That's when I decided to share my story with as many people as possible! Suddenly, the guy and girl showed back up! I stopped pondering the dilemma that was my position as a formerly inanimate object who wanted to change the world for the better. The girl handed me back to the guy and they parted ways.

The guy, who I have since found out is named "Jon", took me back to the apartment that he shares with the other Ian. He told me I could stick around for a while (at least until the original Ian returned from his travels) but that I should think about finding a job. It's the first step in discovering my identity, he said. He gave me a wonderful place to sleep for the night and that's where I am currently. I think there will be little trips in the next few days, so please watch this spot. I am so excited to learn and share!

To end my inaugural blog post, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to Jon for creating me. Thank you to the girl for deciding that I mattered. Lastly, thank YOU for going on this exciting journey with me! I'm sure it will prove to be an interesting one.

Oh! One more thing...make sure to follow me on Instagram! My handle is @styrofoam_ian!

Me in my nice, warm bed! I could get used to this...