In a Foreign Country, Do You Enjoy Visiting a Grocery Store?
Gretchen Rubin
6x NYT Bestselling Author | Host of the "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" Podcast | Pre-order "Secrets of Adulthood," out April 1st
Somehow, I’d never noticed how interesting I found it to visit grocery stores in foreign countries.
For some reason, this didn’t occur to me as a “real” thing to do, so I never thought about it — and never went out of my way to visit a grocery store when I was traveling.
The other day, though, some friends and I got in an animated discussion about the joy of visiting grocery stores while traveling.
And I realized, “This is a real thing, other people feel the same way! It’s fun to visit a grocery store in a foreign city. It deserves to be a proper stop, just like a museum or a monument.”
It’s a window into a different culture. It’s fascinating to see the unfamiliar packaging and food items. I still remember the first time I saw unrefrigerated soft cartons of milk in a French supermarket.
Now that I’ve consciously realized how much I enjoy doing this, I’ll make sure to do it on every trip.
How about you? Do you like to visit grocery stores when you travel? Are there other things you like to do, as well as the traditional sight-seeing, as a way to engage more deeply with a new place?
Having new experiences boosts happiness, but it’s not always easy to figure out ways to allow the newness to penetrate.
Speaking of traveling, here are 9 questions to ask to show your interest in someone’s big, life-changing trip.
* * *
Want to find out whether you're an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel? Take the online Quiz here. If you'd like to be notified when my new book about the Four Tendencies hits the shelves, sign up here.
* * *
Gretchen Rubin is the author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. She writes about happiness and habit-formation at gretchenrubin.com. Follow her here by clicking the yellow FOLLOW button, on Twitter, @gretchenrubin, on Facebook, facebook.com/GretchenRubin. Or listen to her popular podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin.
Photo: Jason Tester Guerrilla, flickr
Ta coach du soin | Spécialiste de la charge mentale des soignantes
9 年it is a very interesting experience
Manager Capital & Community Planning, CRTP at PAGC Engineering & Technical Services
9 年Yes, it provides some insight into the day to day life of people like ourselves
Ex Educator. Retired in February.
9 年I like comparing prices. Alternative options are also very interesting.
Finance & Business Controlling Executive | Commercial Management
9 年Thank you Gretchen for this post. I'm so relieved that I am not alone doing so. Visiting grocery stores and supermarkets in foreign countries gives me an idea of what is of importance for the people in the particular country. Obviously the most relevant items are placed in a way easy to see and reach. The shelf design and sections in the store reflect the habits of that culture. Further, walking in a foreign grocery store and discover new items just frees my mind :) I will be happy to guide and show you around in Istanbul, if you make it here sometime.
?? Coaching | Comunicación | Liderazgo | Marca | Trabajando por #Andalucía. Autora de ERES UNA MUJER REFERENTE.
9 年absolutely