7.16.2012

The Joys of Shopping for One


The local supermarket. I haven't met Gary yet.

I've done a lot of grocery shopping in my life, let me tell you. When I'm at home, it's a weekly ritual Mom and I go through, and it's great. But until this summer, it was always a rather passive thing. Mom made the list, Mom knew the deals, Mom chose the shops. Now, though, I shop to feed myself, not to buy into the familial pool of food as I have my whole life, which is very strange and sort of liberating. Not that Mom hasn't bought excellent food, but now I get exactly what I want in the quantities I'll eat it in. I know that sound incredibly normal, but right now it's still a novel idea.


For instance, the first week I bought chunky peanut butter. We've NEVER had chunky peanut butter at our house, ever, but I've discovered that I LOVE chunky peanut butter. So much so that I actually eat it with a spoon right out of the jar. I think for about three days mostly what I ate was open faced PBJ sandwiches with jelly from the Amish. A winning combination, my friends.

I also bought Tang. I am a huge fan of water and milk, but sometimes I'd like something with a different flavor. At school I drink juice or lemonade, but I don't have juice machines here that provide me with infinite juice (unfortunately), so I comprimised with Tang. So good, and I get to put as much in as I want.

My other shopping thing I do is I buy one luxury item a week. One week it was ginger snaps. Another it was chocolate milk. This week it was Fresca. I bought grape juice one time but I liked it so much that it's now a staple. I swear I could drink a jug of grape juice every two days, easy. I refrain from that particular excess, however ;).

I guess the whole point of this post is that 1. It is weird to buy straight up groceries for myself and 2. Little indulgences are nice.

7.07.2012

World traveller?

http://www.emersonkent.com/images/world_map_1910.jpg

I've never been outside the U.S., sad as it may be. I've been all over INSIDE (approximately 32 states, both coasts, north and south), but never even made it to Canada. Recently I decided that this needs to change. I need to get out and go do things while I can! So, I think after I graduate next spring, I'm going to take off on a plane for somewhere that is not North America.
Current list of top places in no particular order:
  1. Ireland
  2. Nigeria
  3. India
  4. New Zeland
  5. Japan
  6. Paris
  7. London
  8. Italy
  9. China
  10. Amsterdam
  11. Sweden
I have some limitations, however.
  • I don't speak any language with any sort of proficiency outside of English
  • I'd like to KNOW someone where I'm going, as then I will have someone to call if I'm in trouble, and they'll know the area instead of me just going and getting stuck in tourist traps, etc.
  • Going alone may sound fun, but I hear it's more dangerous and probably less fun than having someone to share it with
  • I don't have a fantastic amount of money to spend, but I think I'm willing to pay about $2000. 
So. Where should I go? London seems nice, as it takes away the language barrier, is a relatively cheap plane ticket, especially if bought in advance and I'm guessing it would be easier to find a travelling companion to London than other places. I don't know anyone there, however.

Nigeria would be great, as I know some wonderful people there, but Jos is kind of in an uproar so I'm not sure if it's the best choice right now.

I think we have more missionary friends in China/Hong Kong, so that would be fun. The ticket price is a little prohibitive though.

There is always the option of North American travel, however.
In relative order:
  1. New York
  2. San Francisco
  3. Prince Edward Island
  4. Toronto
  5. Washington DC
  6. Boston
  7. Seattle
  8. Portland
  9. Asheville
 Cheaper, even easier to get someone to go with me, probably more likely that I'd know someone wherever I go, language not a problem...

But the point is that I'm stretching myself and getting OUT there and doing things I wouldn't normally do. 

So I guess what I'm saying is if any of you want to go somewhere with me next May, let me know.