In my college town, there was a really nice grocery store. It wasn't a national chain, but a family-owned business with just a few stores in the state. Really nice stores. Large floral department, vibrant fresh produce, a cafe with a salad and lunch bar. And the place had a great ambiance - it felt more like a market. It was bright and clean and there were handwritten chalkboard signs all over. And the employees were so nice. Everyone shopping there was happy, I swear. Great place.

I used to go there just to walk around. That's what I would do when I was stressed. (Well, that and shop at Target, which was in the same shopping center. Very convenient.) I would stroll the grocery store aisles, surrounded by shoppers: moms with kids, young couples, elderly men running an errand for their wives, people in suits grabbing food for dinner on their way home from work. Being in the midst of all this reminded me that there was a normal life out there beyond dorm rooms and analytical essays and meal plans. It sounds lame, I guess, but it kept me sane.

Here in Redneck Valley the grocery stores pretty much suck. There is one that is better than the rest, but in no way can it compete with my college town's grocery oasis.

But last week a new grocery store opened here. It's a regional chain, and I'd heard it was nice, so I was pretty excited. Not as ecstatic as when Target came to town, but still pretty excited. I went to check it out last Thursday during my lunch break, and I was not disappointed. There's a cafe and coffee bar. With WiFi! Hardwood floors in various sections. Hardwood floors, people! They have a large organic section, and I even saw organic freaking dog food. And the seafood section was like a fresh market with stacks of fish. You know, with the heads still intact and the little beady eyes staring at you! Which, eew, but also awesome! And there are kiosks throughout the store that provide recipes and also can be used to locate items. No more wandering up and down aisles looking for random ingredients like wheat germ or coconut milk or saffron threads! Woohooo!

Friday evening I took Rob to check it out. Because what else is there to do here? And frankly, after you're married for five years, going to the grocery store on a Friday night totally counts as a date. So I was showing him all the cool stuff ("Rob, look! Hardwood floors! And organic freaking dog food! And do you see the fish heads over there staring at us?!!") when we stumbled upon the wine tasting. WINE-TASTING! At a grocery store! I might perhaps have squealed and proclaimed it our Best Date EVER.

You laugh, but honestly, with the coffee shop and the WiFi and the sushi and the wine-tasting and the olive bar, I'm declaring it THE new place to hang out. I'm totally going to start suggesting we meet our friends for a night out at the grocery store.

And I'm going to start grocery store strolling again, too. Not for stress relief anymore, but rather to soak in the fact that I'm living that fantastic normal life I used to long for.