Sleep is one of the most important pillars of health.
So how on earth does waking up at 3:15 AM to hunt down a limited-release Korean “Bearista” glass cup from Starbucks shift from “this is crazy” to “this was one of the best health investments we made all year”?
As with everything in Health401k®, context changes the equation.
A Little Backstory: Why Starbucks Matters to Us
Starbucks has been woven into the fabric of our relationship for more than fifteen years.
It is where Adria and I first met back in 2010.
It is where we had our first date in 2013.
It is where I proposed in 2015.
It became an aesthetic theme at our wedding in 2017.
So yes, we have a soft spot for limited Starbucks drops.
Cups, ornaments, the “Been There” series, we have a fun little collection going.
And Adria LOVES cute things.
This Bearista cup had her in a chokehold. She kept showing me pictures and saying,
“Isn’t it SO cute though?!”
But she had two concerns:
1. It was not wise from a financial standpoint.
2. Sacrificing sleep on a school night did not make sense.
And to be fair, she LOVES her sleep.
Here is the funny part:
Adria can sleep anywhere, on anything, at any time.
No blanket.
No pillow.
No preparation.
She just powers down like a MacBook.
It is one of the great mysteries of our marriage.
The Plan
Fortunately, I already wake up naturally between 3:40 and 4:20 AM, so this was not a massive shift for me.
I laid out our clothes, rehearsed leaving the house like a fire drill, and set the alarm for 3:15 AM.
When it went off, I shook Adria awake (and yes, it absolutely required shaking, think “What About Bob” levels of coaxing for those of us who grew up in the 80s).
We drove to Starbucks in Enfield, CT, and somehow there was already a line!
This Is Where the Health Investment Comes In
If Adria were reading this, she would say,
“Ryan, land the airplane. How does this connect to health?”
Here it is:
We met some amazing people in that line.
One gentlemen, name removed to protect the innocent (lol), struck up a conversation with us.
Before we knew it:
- We were scheduling a walk through Forest Park
- We learned we shared a ton of interests
- A double date naturally followed
- And now, they are real friends
That friendship, those conversations, and the excitement of that morning would never have existed if not for a glass bear cup.
The Deeper Health401k Meaning
This experience hit several dimensions of health simultaneously:
- The social bond we strengthened together
- The emotional joy and playfulness of doing something silly and spontaneous
- The environmental shift of putting ourselves in a line surrounded by people who were excited about the same thing
- The intellectual stimulation of talking with strangers and discovering new connections
It was not about the cup.
It was about the environment the cup created.
That is the heart of Health401k®.
We invest in environments because environments shape behavior, identity, belonging, and well-being far more than motivation does.
Thank You, Starbucks
For introducing me to Adria in the first place.
For holding the backdrop of some of our favorite memories.
And for connecting us, unexpectedly and beautifully, to yet another incredible couple.
Sometimes the smallest thing unlocks the biggest return.
Ryan Travis Woods
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