I started working in fast food at the beginning of the summer. It's a tough business, since regardless of the time I'm always trying to beat the clock. Hands down, one of the busiest and most hectic times of the day for me is lunch. Here are what I believe to be the five stages to lunch rush.

1. The Beginning

http://giphy.com/gifs/the-office-praying-fingers-c...

It always starts with thinking it won't be that bad. After all, I work in a sandwich shop and people can only eat so many sandwiches? Right?

2. The First Customers

http://giphy.com/gifs/silicon-valley-3o6EhWeei7wsp2jc1G

At the most it's five people at a time. I can spend extra time on the sandwiches, lining up all the ingredients in nice straight rows instead of slapping them on the bread. Perhaps I can even make some small talk with the customers. It's wonderful. I look over to my co-workers and we're grinning because maybe, just maybe, this is the worst it'll get today.

3. The Wave Hits

http://giphy.com/gifs/nysm2-xT0BKBcYrZEkNFIGpW

And then all of a sudden—poof—a mob of people appear out of thin air. A magic trick it seems everyone but us workers know. It's a tsunami of hungry people; my perception of time changes from counting seconds and minutes to counting sandwiches. Hopefully, it's a series of smaller waves... the longer a wave stretches the more I remember the first time I rode a bike without training wheels. I kept going until I crashed into something.

4. You Find the Rhythm

http://giphy.com/gifs/disney-wolhxb05aM0gw

Sure, it's rough. Lunch rush can make us question the most basic aspects of a sandwich. Once, my friend forgot to put bacon on a BLT. There are hiccups and kinks to work out, but trust me, when they are smoothed over it is a beautiful thing. I can have nonverbal conversations with my co-workers, and all of us remain on the same page. We can duck and weave around each other—a non-choreographed dance within a very finite space.

5. The End of Lunch Rush

http://giphy.com/gifs/amy-poehler-tina-fey-high-five-WU8eEdMhhXu80

It's true the beginning of a rush forms a sinking ball of dread in your stomach, but finishing the last order of an exceedingly long rush feels amazing. I feel wonderfully productive. It shows me how people can work together under a huge time crunch, and all while holding a smile. It's exhausting, but I wouldn't change it. After all, nothing quite solidifies a friendship like surviving lunch rush.