I just had the most wonderful morning.
Mr. Sun woke me around 8:00. I rolled around in bed for a bit before gathering up a couple of cloth bags, my wallet, and shopping list and rode my bike over to the local farmer's market. Granted, a lot of things were overpriced, but I spent the cash I had on my person to buy some fruit, squash, tomatoes, apple cider, honey, and peanut butter. Rode back home, unloaded my milk crate (which is connected to my bike rack with cable ties), and headed out to the local grocer for everything else I needed to kick off my first ever cooking-for-myself experience.
I left the store without a single plastic bag, not even the little ones you use for produce. (Ultimately, my carrots, apples, lettuce, and spinach ended up in the two cloth bags I had brought.) The woman at the register was very understanding and loaded my purchases back into my shopping basket so I could load them into my milk crate outside. After a stop at a cafe near the grocer (where I picked up a half-dozen bagels and had a lovely surprise encounter with some friends who were abroad last semester/year), I found a route home that was easier than any I'd tried before.
The great thing about having to cart things around with your own strength is that you think seriously about what you need and don't need. You buy food for a shorter span of time and fewer things are likely to go bad and get wasted. I ended up cutting out some snacks that were on my list because, with a little thought, I realized how unnecessary they were for the next few days.
I'm hoping to keep a similar routine while the weather stays nice. I'm lucky to live near a lil' old town where everything is accessible by bike. And since I can never get myself to exercise for exercise's sake, this is a perfect way for me to get into better shape without feeling like I'm wasting time.
To top it off, as I pedaled into the final stretch of my ride home, I listed off adjectives to describe how truly awesome the day is and how wonderful the whole morning has made me feel. Ahhhhhh, to live.
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i feel guilty -seeing and buying so many things in containers here in tokyo- I promise to be more careful saya - i love your entries. i can almost picture your life . . . enjoy every moment, your friend, food, life being a college student - just two more years!! Kya~ mama
ReplyDeleteI don't want you to feel guilty. I still end up with containers and plastic bags sometimes. And the way they package stuff in Japan... eek. But I am glad you're more aware of it. Just keep thinking about little changes. If everyone makes little changes, we're better off than if no one changes anything.
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