We as human beings lean into our comfort zones and favorite guilty pleasures when we need a little extra love, which is why I’ve seen The Office six times and have jaw issues from eating too many Mike n Ikes and other chewy candy.
While people usually hear ‘comfort zones’ and think of an actual zone, place or a bubble we confine ourselves to, I like to think that there is a little bit more to it than that.
Our comfort zones can be a playlist or an album, a book, a type of food, an activity. Those are the kinds that are easy to travel with to school or wherever you go. Then there are comfort zones that involve actual places, like your childhood bedroom, your grandma’s house, the deli in town.
Since we can’t pack up our grandma’s house and bring it with us to college, although you can certainly do your best (I have the perfume that my grandma wears with me at school), we have to find new comfort zones when we leave the nest.
One of my favorite comfort zones here at school? That’s easy. Trader Joe’s. Sure Target is like a second home and shopping at Zara is all fun and games, but nothing compares to how calm, cool and collected TJ’s makes me feel.
I don’t know about you, but going grocery shopping is very relaxing to me. Have there been times where I freeze in the middle of the aisle because there are a thousand people around me and I start to freak out because there is a pandemic and I wonder how the heck all of these people were allowed in here and I think about telling an employee that they should really reconsider their maximum capacity number? Sure. But I try to avoid those situations by going to the grocery store at the crack of dawn with all the moms and elderly folk. My kind of people.
I just love it there so much. Every week I try and buy one new thing to rate and review over on my Instagram. Who knew food shopping could be so fun! Today, I bought a sweet potato. I know, I know, VERY out there and mysterious. Do I eat sweet potatoes? Basically never. Did I buy it because there was a cute man standing by the potatoes? Yeah. Yeah I did. And now look at me: I am stuck with a potato I don’t really want and no cute new man to eat it with.
Grocery shopping tip: I know they say your eyes eat first, but just because there is a cute person buying something doesn’t mean you also need to buy it. They don’t care about you or your potato. I know, the truth hurts.
Besides the fun experience, I look forward to my grocery shop every single week because it provides me with some me time. It gives me a solid hour where I can just walk, listen to a podcast, see strangers and not have to interact, take five minutes to block up the dessert aisle while I weigh my ice cream options and then walk back. ALL while spending time with myself! Did I mention it’s about a mile each way? I definitely get my arm workout in while walking back, having to rotate and stretch my carrying hand every two minutes.
Another thing. As much as I love being with my friends, I simply cannot let them come grocery shopping with me. I just can’t. First of all, that would defeat the purpose of having me time which is what I count on my weekly grocery shops for. But also, I’ve tried it before and I always forget five things that I need and get five things that I don’t, despite me making an extensive grocery list because I make lists for just about everything. Now, it would probably help if I didn’t leave the list on my desk, which I do 90% of the time, but it’s the thought that counts.
Long story short, the grocery store is a beautiful place for you to be an independent grown-up where you can do some quality self-reflecting, for you to fill your cart with healthy foods you don’t want but feel like you need to buy and for you to literally get lost in the sauce.
So, what is one of your favorite comfort zones when you are away from home? Is it a song? A restaurant? A movie? And if you are having trouble finding one, can I recommend your local grocer?
My dear friend Crosby took this photo of me for a school project last year. Of course, it was in a grocery store. Now, it wasn’t Trader Joe’s but it was a grocery store nonetheless and look at the JOY radiating from my face!!!!