Being non-native of upstate New York, coming to Ithaca was a bit of a culture shock for me. I had never even seen a Wegman’s before August this year, never mind having set foot in one. Needless to say, my first Wegman’s shopping experience had a handful of emotions all tied up in one. And I know I’m not the only one who has dealt with the loss of Wegman’s virginity, so here are just a few emotions or experiences anyone gets their first time (or anytime, really) in that sacred supermarket.

As soon as you walk through those automatic doors, there is almost always an amoeba of strangers with shopping carts fighting to the death for their produce. That was definitely a little dramatic, but it gets crazy and immediately a sense of overwhelming “what do I do with myself” comes over you. Deep breaths. Grab a shopping carriage and begin your Wegman’s journey.

You know that feeling when you get a piece of really great news? Like a good grade on your final exam or you find out your parents got a new dog (hint, hint mom). That’s the feeling we all get when we see our favorite food item fully stocked on the shelves. I get so excited when I see the trail mix section at Wegman’s that it takes a good five minutes or so for me to actually calm down and get my food. And don’t even get me started on the Oreos.

Before shopping at Wegman’s, I never thought buying groceries would be such a monumental event. It gets to the point sometimes where you feel almost dysfunctional. There is so much you want to buy but only so much that you actually need to buy that sometimes the two can get mixed together and you’ll end up walking out of there with a three-course meal when really all you needed to get was shampoo.

Now, the actual Wegman’s grocery store is a completely different experience from the Wegman’s café area. Never have I ever seen so much hot and ready-to-go food in my life. I’ve been seriously thinking about starting a petition to make Wegman’s IC’s dining hall food provider. See ya later, Sodexo! But seriously, I could walk into a Wegman’s café with no appetite at all and after 30 seconds I’m so hungry I could eat the whole store—and trust me, I’ve thought about it.

Let’s remember that while Wegman’s is primarily a family grocery store, college kids much like myself shop there just as often. The only difference is, even with their unbelievably already low prices, I still can’t bring myself to buy anything because I am broke. And it’s always a sad day when I can’t walk out of Wegman’s with three packages of cookies and ten pounds of trail mix. It’s just not fair that my car ride back to my dorm is Wegman-less. Or even worse, I spent money on things I actually need like toothpaste. I can’t drown my finals sorrows in toothpaste.

All in all, Wegman's is by far one of the greatest discoveries I've had since shipping up to Ithaca and will probably be the best part of my college experience there for years to come. And even though it sometimes gives me a headache, and I can barely afford a single almond from the trail mix bar, I'll always love the wonderful Wegman's.