You Mean…Not ALL Targets Have Produce?

Although transitioning to life in Waco after living in Orlando has been fairly easy, I have encountered a few surprises and challenges over the past month.

Surprises:

#1 $5 Movies. Yes…$5 movies for students…on weekend evenings!  The price of a child’s admission! After living in Orlando, I am accustomed to spending $12-$15 to see one movie!  Discovering the lower prices of movies was more than a welcomed surprise! I will definitely be seeing all of the new summer releases!

#2 Gas Expenses  Although I’m sure how much you spend on gas still largely depends on where you live in relation to school or where you work, I have found myself spending much less money on gas for my car than I did in Orlando.  In Orlando it’s typical to drive between 20 and 30 minutes to get to most location.  Twenty minutes to get to school, thirty minutes to purchase cupcakes, thirty minutes to get hot chocolate at Ghiradelli, etc.  In Waco I can typically drive between 5 and 10 minutes to get everything I need!

Challlenges:

#1: The discovery that I am a grocery store snob. Yes it’s true.  No I am not proud of it.  After living in Orlando for four years, I became accustomed to Publix Grocery Stores.  I love Publix…I really do.  I was also spoiled by near-by Whole Foods and Targets with produce.

After moving to Waco my first discovery was that Targets still do not typically have produce.  Although I realize many people may disagree with me, I pretty much think Target is one of the greatest stores…ever.  The decor, the ambiance, Papyrus greeting

A Papyrus card in all its glory. Proof of Target perfection.

cards, an array of candy and sweets, home goods, and even Target’s brand of products, up & up.  The convenience of produce at my previous local Target was simply the icing on the cake.

Although I came to terms with the lack of produce at Target, becoming accustomed to HEB, the local grocery store chain, was another challenge. Don’t get me wrong, HEB is perfectly fine and has a wide variety of brand and store-brand products, but I initially compared HEB to Publix.  Within a span of two weeks I ultimately visited a total of five HEB stores within the area.  Yes…five.  I ultimately formed a ranking system in terms of my favorite and have since chosen which HEB to visit depending on what I need to buy. A bit crazy? Probably.  But hey, my grocery shopping experiences are back to what I was accustomed to!

#2 What to do on a late weeknight evening. In Orlando a variety of things stay open way quite late during weeknights.  If I went out during the week during college it was typically to grab dessert, go for a walk and catch up with friends.  Although I can certainly still do these things in Waco, there are fewer options.

My solution? Board games.

I always loved board games growing up, but stopped playing them over time.  After having a few low-key evenings and wanting something to do, I quickly came to finding

Why yes, that is the ocean’s chalice.

new and old games to play.  I first turned to a childhood classic, Life.  Although the game is as enjoyable as I remembered, it is also a bit mindless and I wanted something with some strategy and challenge.

Enter: Forbidden Island. A cooperative strategy game in which you work together to collect treasure and escape from the island before it sinks.  A bit dorky? Absolutely. Incredibly fun? You bet!  I have to admit, beginning to tap into my inner board game dork is way way more fun than I was expecting.  Soon it will be time for me to find a new game!