Small Victories

Warning: This is probably an extremely boring post. This entry consists of me rambling about groceries. Continue reading if you would like.

I am really happy. Why? I was able to go to the grocery store all by myself today.

Yes, you just read correctly. Going to the grocery store made me happy. Laugh if you want, but this tiny errand made me proud. Lame as it may be, I felt independent. Before today, I always went into town with a friend. If we got lost, at least I had someone there with me. Not today! I ventured out all by myself. I took the bus into town and wandered around trying to build a mental map. I walked around to see if I could discover new things such as shops or landmarks. I found a few pound stores (equivalent to the dollar store back home), bakeries and restaurants. One such bakery is called the Pound Bakery. I'm not quite sure if this was a good discovery or not. Delicious sweets for only a pound? Yes, please. :)

I treated myself to apple turnovers. Two turnovers were one pound. Compared to other prices I had seen, this was a good deal! In the Pound Bakery, I noticed that they also sold vegetarian sausage rolls. I have yet to try one, but they seem like they are similar to pigs in a blanket. One thing that I really appreciate here in England is how vegetarian friendly the restaurants are. The menu will usually list a "V" for vegetarian friendly. There are usually multiple options, too! I have yet to come across a restaurant that did not have some sort of designation for vegetarian food. Anyways, I digress...

After walking around town for a bit, I walked back to the town center where the charter market was being held. Every Wednesday and Saturday, Lancaster hosts an outdoors market. This market has been going on for over 900 years! All types of things are sold. Some of the items include: jewelry, pillows, blankets, knickknacks, sweets, bread, meat, fruit, and vegetables.

Once I was finished with the market, I walked to the grocery store. I signed up for a rewards card (are you proud mom?), and I began my shopping. I am still not used to the layout of the store, so it took me a bit of time to find everything. I had set a budget for my groceries. I wanted to spend fifteen quid or less. I actually spent sixteen quid. However, I was not too upset. There were about three items that I had not planned to buy, but I saw that they were on sale. They were items that I knew I would use, so I took advantage of the deal.

Once I was finished, I hopped on the bus and headed back to campus. I really love the ride to and from town. There is so much beautiful scenery! My favorite part of the bus ride is seeing all of the sheep grazing in the hills. As I stared out the window, all I could think about was how happy I was.

When I initially signed up for study abroad, I was terrified that I would fail at adapting to a new country. I have gone to the grocery store back home plenty of times. This felt different. Back home, I would sometimes call my mom and ask, "is this a good deal?" Here in England, that's not really an option. I now have a lot more confidence that I am fully capable of doing things by myself.

Small victories, my friends. That is what makes me happy.