I can’t decide if it’s an all time low, a sign of growing up, or my trying to walk (or run) away from collegiate responsibilities. Grocery shopping is my thing, and if you ask anyone I know, they will tell you that among the many things I could go on about (including coffee, oatmeal and Texas), one of them has become the joy of grocery shopping. Yes, unfortunately grocery shopping is my new favorite activity. Or maybe that’s a good thing? It’s the one thing in my week that I’m always guaranteed to enjoy, even though I often come back exhausted. And now that cold weather slammed DC in the face (and therefore slammed me in the face), I now come back exhausted AND cold and withered. But that’s no matter to me, I still love it. I could tell you how much every item I bought from the grocery store cost thanks to my notebook with my grocery lists, dating all the way back to August. On average bananas cost between $1.00 and $2.00, a bag of baby carrots $1.69, and milk $2.59. I could also tell you that apples have jumped in cost about $0.70 per pound, and are therefore far too expensive for my college grocery budget to justify. But no worries, pear season is upon us, and those prices fit nicely within my budget. Looks like the whole “Apple a day…” thing is going to have to wait until next fall when they’re back in season.
While sometimes I think that this sad and strange obsession with grocery shopping happened all of a sudden, I’ve realized that it actually began last semester in my time studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. In the spare time I had (which was a lot), I often moseyed over to various grocery stores just a walking distance from the apartment where I lived with the intent buying just a few things – and I usually stuck to just buying those few things, except when I didn’t. But soon enough, going to the grocery store became more than just buying what I needed – it eventually became an adventure. Each time I went to the store, I aimlessly walked around for 30 minutes or more, simply looking at the various produce, nuts, breads or random items. It was a delicious way of killing time.
But my obsession probably (or actually) began when I visited Salamanca, Spain. Before leaving for the trip, I bought some fruit and snacks to last for the weekend, but as I walked around the city with my friend on our first day there, we each decided to forgo eating lunch at a restaurant and instead decided it would be far more fun and much cheaper to enjoy a picnic alongside the Tormes River. So, we walked to a nearby grocery store, bought fresh fruits, cheeses, olives, and other foods, walked back to the river, and sat down next to the nearly 2,000 year old Roman bridge to eat our feast in the warmth of the sun. We talked, we ate in silence, and we watched the others who, like us, decided that the day was perfect for a picnic. And it was. Today, that memory stands as one of my absolute favorites.
My experiences abroad showed me that a grocery store can tell you a lot about a place – about its people and its culture. While traveling in my time abroad, I always seemed to inadvertently end up in a grocery store. The food was always cheaper and fresher, but it more importantly helped me better understand where I was. When my friend and I visited Lisbon, we went to a random grocery store in a larger market to get fresh food; when my sister and I were in Paris together, we went to the Carrefour to buy wine and nuts; and when I traveled along through the Basque country, I went to markets to buy fresh fruits and snacks. Popping my head into the various grocery stores or fruit stands in each of the places I traveled became something I looked forward to doing – I was able to connect to various cultures and customs through the most simple and delicious of foods. What’s more perfect than that?
I guess it’s those sweet memories and fun moments of exploration that have made me who I am: a grocery fanatic. Even though I’m back here in The States and spend my weekly grocery runs at Safeway, I still find myself getting lost in the store as I try to spark my creativity and find something new (while at the same time just trying to find my Texas grocery staples). I admit this form of “fun” is definitely a strange one, but I challenge you to give it a try. See what you can find.