It is truly amazing how different similar places are. The United states for example is one country. It has 50 separate states, but they are all apart of a unified nation. Even within the independent states, the variety from town to town and within cities is incredible…and amusing. I recently moved from San Antonio, where I was stationed with the Air Force, back home to Hoover, Alabama. It was a long 15 hour escapade with the 16’ moving van, hauling my Accord on a car trailer, with my father driving, listening to country music. As I mentioned, it was a long drive! But even the drive couldn’t stifle my innate love of home; going on 930 pm I was finally waking up, becoming more talkative, animated and overall excited as we drove into familiar territory. I didn’t realize I would be so glad to be home.
The excitement, comfort and stress relief lasted only through the night. Morning brought unloading everything I had loaded only two days before, and trying to pack my life and 3 bedroom house into my mother’s attic. It was a logistical challenge…that I, with my father’s help, conquered in 3.5 hours!
Now to my observations. After nearly two full days of moving, arranging, rearranging, and unpacking, I had to take a break. What to do but grocery shop? I used to live two minutes from the HEB in San Antonio so I could make runs for any little thing or to fill a craving at the drop of a hat. In Hoover, I am fortunate enough to have stayed within a 5 minute drive from the neighborhood Publix, so I jumped in the car with a list.
Here begin the noticeable differences from old to new environments: the parking spots are all for compact vehicles, the buggy return lane is only about 5 feet long and wide enough for just a single cart, I was smiled at and greeted at the store entrance…not bombarded by large signs, loud music, or eight shoppers trying to exit (out the door marked “enter”). Don’t get me wrong, HEB (Alon Market) was a terrific grocery store. However it was always just too big, too loud and too greedy for my taste. At Publix, the departments are smaller, the selection not as varied (for example the beer and wine selection is one side of a single isle and “ethnic food” is limited to mainstream Hispanic, British and Asian items), but the people are fantastically kind, helpful and downright friendly.
My trip was half as long as usual, simply because the square footage I had to cover was about half, and time consuming decisions between brands was easier since I had 20 brands to choose from rather than 45 (3-4 of which are store brands). As I walked the store, I spoke to other customers and employees just as I would in HEB, getting similar jovial responses and willingness to help. It was incredibly easy to navigate the store, find certain products and maneuver in and out of the simply designed store. At last I made it to one of the 10 checkout lanes, checked out and returned to my car parked only about 5 spaces back. As I walked to return my cart to the empty one lane buggy return area it occurred to me that even the grocery carts were bigger in Texas! It is truly amazing how different similar places are. The United states for example is one country. It has 50 separate states, but they are all apart of a unified nation. Even within the independent states, the variety from town to town and within cities is incredible…and amusing. I recently moved from San Antonio, where I was stationed with the Air Force, back home to Hoover, Alabama. It was a long 15 hour escapade with the 16’ moving van, hauling my Accord on a car trailer, with my father driving, listening to country music. As I mentioned, it was a long drive! But even the drive couldn’t stifle my innate love of home; going on 930 pm I was finally waking up, becoming more talkative, animated and overall excited as we drove into familiar territory. I didn’t realize I would be so glad to be home.
The excitement, comfort and stress relief lasted only through the night. Morning brought unloading everything I had loaded only two days before, and trying to pack my life and 3 bedroom house into my mother’s attic. It was a logistical challenge…that I, with my father’s help, conquered in 3.5 hours!
Now to my observations. After nearly two full days of moving, arranging, rearranging, and unpacking, I had to take a break. What to do but grocery shop? I used to live two minutes from the HEB in San Antonio so I could make runs for any little thing or to fill a craving at the drop of a hat. In Hoover, I am fortunate enough to have stayed within a 5 minute drive from the neighborhood Publix, so I jumped in the car with a list.
Here begin the noticeable differences from old to new environments: the parking spots are all for compact vehicles, the buggy return lane is only about 5 feet long and wide enough for just a single cart, I was smiled at and greeted at the store entrance…not bombarded by large signs, loud music, or eight shoppers trying to exit (out the door marked “enter”). Don’t get me wrong, HEB (Alon Market) was a terrific grocery store. However it was always just too big, too loud and too greedy for my taste. At Publix, the departments are smaller, the selection not as varied (for example the beer and wine selection is one side of a single isle and “ethnic food” is limited to mainstream Hispanic, British and Asian items), but the people are fantastically kind, helpful and downright friendly.
My trip was half as long as usual, simply because the square footage I had to cover was about half, and time consuming decisions between brands was easier since I had 20 brands to choose from rather than 45 (3-4 of which are store brands). As I walked the store, I spoke to other customers and employees just as I would in HEB, getting similar jovial responses and willingness to help. It was incredibly easy to navigate the store, find certain products and maneuver in and out of the simply designed store. At last I made it to one of the 10 checkout lanes, checked out and returned to my car parked only about 5 spaces back. As I walked to return my cart to the empty one lane buggy return area it occurred to me that even the grocery carts were bigger in Texas! It is truly amazing how different similar places are. The United states for example is one country. It has 50 separate states, but they are all apart of a unified nation. Even within the independent states, the variety from town to town and within cities is incredible…and amusing. I recently moved from San Antonio, where I was stationed with the Air Force, back home to Hoover, Alabama. It was a long 15 hour escapade with the 16’ moving van, hauling my Accord on a car trailer, with my father driving, listening to country music. As I mentioned, it was a long drive! But even the drive couldn’t stifle my innate love of home; going on 930 pm I was finally waking up, becoming more talkative, animated and overall excited as we drove into familiar territory. I didn’t realize I would be so glad to be home.
The excitement, comfort and stress relief lasted only through the night. Morning brought unloading everything I had loaded only two days before, and trying to pack my life and 3 bedroom house into my mother’s attic. It was a logistical challenge…that I, with my father’s help, conquered in 3.5 hours!
Now to my observations. After nearly two full days of moving, arranging, rearranging, and unpacking, I had to take a break. What to do but grocery shop? I used to live two minutes from the HEB in San Antonio so I could make runs for any little thing or to fill a craving at the drop of a hat. In Hoover, I am fortunate enough to have stayed within a 5 minute drive from the neighborhood Publix, so I jumped in the car with a list.
Here begin the noticeable differences from old to new environments: the parking spots are all for compact vehicles, the buggy return lane is only about 5 feet long and wide enough for just a single cart, I was smiled at and greeted at the store entrance…not bombarded by large signs, loud music, or eight shoppers trying to exit (out the door marked “enter”). Don’t get me wrong, HEB (Alon Market) was a terrific grocery store. However it was always just too big, too loud and too greedy for my taste. At Publix, the departments are smaller, the selection not as varied (for example the beer and wine selection is one side of a single isle and “ethnic food” is limited to mainstream Hispanic, British and Asian items), but the people are fantastically kind, helpful and downright friendly.
My trip was half as long as usual, simply because the square footage I had to cover was about half, and time consuming decisions between brands was easier since I had 20 brands to choose from rather than 45 (3-4 of which are store brands). As I walked the store, I spoke to other customers and employees just as I would in HEB, getting similar jovial responses and willingness to help. It was incredibly easy to navigate the store, find certain products and maneuver in and out of the simply designed store. At last I made it to one of the 10 checkout lanes, checked out and returned to my car parked only about 5 spaces back. As I walked to return my cart to the empty one lane buggy return area it occurred to me that even the grocery carts were bigger in Texas!
