Starting employment at a brand-new job is never an easy task. Ninety-nine percent of the time you feel awkward and you have no idea what you are doing, especially if this specific job is your very first job. I’m forever thankful for going to my first job interview ever during my Junior year of high school. Starting out I’d never believe how close I’d get with everyone. However when you start a new job right off the bat you notice everyone already has a group they belong to. Don't worry though, give it some time and you'll all become a family. One of the greatest things about family is they accept you no matter what! I know from my experience that working with awesome people such as my co-workers makes being at work become more than just making money, instead it creates an unbreakable bond. I know I’ll always be able to count on my current co-workers, even after I've moved onto bigger plans in the future. My heart will always stay at that store.

As you all become a family, you begin to work as a team. In my personal opinion I believe working at a small company provides multiple positive advantages. You are not just another name on board the company, everyone knows each other personally due to working closely with each other daily. Lets all be honest here, working isn't all fun and games. However, it does have its moments depending on who your working with that day. Who's scheduled during the same shift as you is what determines if it will be a good night at work or not. I have to admit that some of my best laughs have been at work with all my favorite co-workers. There are times where they have me laughing so much to the point where I have no idea how Ive never peed my pants from laughing so hard. Shifts at work like these are ones that I will forever cherish.

Working in retail you all fight the same battles, deal with the same situations, and deal with the same irritating customers. They know the restraint it takes to hold back the comments you really want to tell a customer after them asking you to do a ridiculous demand (usually having something to do with wrapping). I can always count on my co-workers to make fun of dumb questions customers ask, dreading the same customers as me, and having my back when a stubborn customer is arguing with me for 10 minutes. Basically summed up, we all have a lot in common dealing with the retail world.

Each of them are like another mom to me. I have one true mom obviously but I have multiple “store moms” who I don't know what I’d do without. They treat me as though I am another one of their children and I truly appreciate that. Becoming apart of this company came along with a tremendous support system through anything possible. All through my freshman year of college I had all of their support. I would come home every few weekends and of course I had to make a pit stop to see my second family. Opening the front doors and seeing all of their smiling faces happy to see me would never get old. Every time I came home it was as if I never left.

Thanks for reminding me how poor I was whenever I try to give up a shift or buy something I really don’t need. Thanks for making work actually fun, well sometimes. Thank you for helping me with decisions because I am totally indecisive. Thank you for being your sassy selves, always brightening my day. We pick on each other like family does and I would have it no other way. Thank you for always providing food out back to snack on during breaks. Thank you for watching "The Bachelor" like me and reporting back to each other who we think will get picked. Thanks for listening to every issue I have whether it has to do with room mate problems or boy complaints. Co-workers are truly like a therapist on the side.

When working you go through a lot together. When someone leaves to move onto bigger things in their life, we lose a part of our family, but they will always be close to our hearts. After awhile one co-workers pain becomes your pain also. Before you know it the people who once were strangers become people you cry with at the lose of a beloved co-worker. Unfortunately my co-workers and I recently went through the lose of an amazing co-worker but also a piece of our little store family. She was the ultimate queen of sassiness and always was the one you could count on to make you laugh till you peed yourself. She was one of the regular customers favorites, probably due to her snark comments. She may not be with us anymore but she will forever be a part of the store.

I owe so many thank you’s to every individual I've worked with at this store. It’s inevitable that you all have helped me grow in my professional and personal life. You’ve all taught me valuable skills that I will forever appreciate through life. When I started at my work I was a shy little 16 year old who barely had the guts to talk to people I didn't know. Now I look at who I am today and I have my co-workers to thank for the miraculous turn around. I am no longer that shy 16 year old girl, that is now in the past. Thank you to everyone for being apart of my past, present and future. After almost three years of working at my job they have went from people I was scheduled to work with, to people I actually want to go out of my way to see outside of work. The bond created at a simple part-time job is absolutely amazing. Thanks for the never ending laughs, amazing support and unforgettable memories.