Coming from a small town, supermarkets are few and far between; therefore, so are trips to the store. It's necessary to make tedious grocery lists in order to avoid multiple car rides to and from the store each week. We fill up carts with food that we take to the check-out line, and after the cashier scans our goods and places them in dozens of plastic bags, we load our trunks and head home.

Just across the street from my apartment are two supermarkets. On the way home from school, I pass two others. Less than 10 walking minutes away from my school is yet another option: a traditional outdoor market. Hence, I really don't need to make a grocery list when it's convenient to simply stop in and pick up what I need every few days.

Here, people bring their own reusable bags to load their groceries in, or they take with them a large canvas, cart-like object on wheels called a shopping trolley. This environmentally conscious choice inspires me to bring a reusable bag of my own.

Aside from these two positive differences, grocery shopping is extremely similar to my U.S. experiences. Fruit, bread, meats, soups, sauces, dairy, eggs, dessert, snacks … they're all there. Of course, the labels are in Spanish (and their word for calories translates into "energy" … Don't you just LOVE that?!?)

Still, the one thing I still haven't been able to locate is sour cream. My homemade quesadillas just haven't been the same.

Butler University

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