As an actress with a busy schedule,Ashley Parkrealizes the importance of carving out quality time for the people she loves most.
Monday marks the official launch of the Starbucks Coffee Break-away campaign — a collaboration between Park, 31, and the chain — which focuses on “tuning out distractions and tuning into each other.”
It’s a practice that Park had to master since her success on the hit Netflix showEmily in Paris.
“I think in the past couple of years, we’ve all gone through a lot. And I know for me personally, it was the first time I really got to spend time, good quality time as an adult with my parents and my sister,” she tells PEOPLE. “And moving forward, especially this year as my professional commitments have completely turned my life into a different ball game, in a very exciting way, I’ve realized how much I really want and need to prioritize being with my loved ones.”
Because she has such little free time, she makes the most of even short moments. And there’s one friend who truly understands her situation:Emily in Parisco-starLily Collins. The two women are currently in Paris shooting the show’s third season.
“Lily and I were just texting because, again, we both are so, so busy all the time. And I think that’s why our friendship works so much is because it’s really important to us [that] the people in our life really understand that it’s the quality, not quantity of time they spend with me.”
“Some of my best friends I haven’t seen for months. But when I have been able to have a conversation or we are able to see each other, we’re really there,” she adds. “There’s nobody more present with each other than me and Lily when we’re together.”
Ashley Park.Starbucks
For Park, the collaboration with Starbucks was a no-brainer — considering her love for the coffee itself and the campaign’s messaging.
“First of all, I love Starbucks, so I was so excited just to even get the opportunity,” she says. “I was so surprised and energized that this company that we all know and love so much and that we associate with on the go and energizing us was doing something that was really about bringing people together and having loved ones tune in with each other.”
“It wasn’t in a way of like, ‘Oh, I need more attention from you.’ It was so beautiful,” says Park. “I think that even when people say lovely things, sometimes we have a hard time receiving it or acknowledging it. And it was this person being super vulnerable and articulate and able to say, ‘I love you, and I think it’s important that we really tune in with each other.’ "
Ashley Park, Jillian and Lee.Starbucks
When the clips were finished, Park got to surprise the people and have a discussion on how to approach being more present with each other. She says the experience “really affected her.”
“I think that being present with people is the only thing that will make us feel stable and energize us every day,” she says.
The Starbucks Coffee Break-away also serves as a part of the Ready for the Right Now campaign forready-to-drink beverageslike the Nitro Cold Brew and bottled Frappuccino coffee.
source: people.com
