I am honestly confused. Flabbergasted. Shocked and awed. How did it take me 20 years to step inside a Trader Joe's? To be fair, Trader Joe's has yet to make it past the Canadian Border and up to the citizens of the Great White North, limiting my ability to shop at this grocery store for the first 18 years of my life. However, there is no excuse for my lack of action over the past three years. Trader Joe's has been within my grasp, and until last week, I had yet to venture into supermarket paradise.

This week I arrived back to Milwaukee to an empty fridge and a pack of granola bars in the pantry. This, partnered with my new year's resolution to start cooking more and eating out less, inspired a trip to the grocery store. However, the pretentious cookbooks I received for Christmas wouldn't allow for just any ingredients.

Metro Market had let me down in the past. They failed to carry the bok choy I required and charged me a pretty penny for my matcha. So, it was time to move on to a different shopping experience. I knew that Pick n' Save would present me with the same problems I had found at Metro Market. And, Sendicks had the worst of both these worlds, with limited selection and even higher prices.

There was, of course, Whole Foods, but I feared the temptation I would be confronted with and wanted to avoid fully submersing myself in the hipster lifestyle. Through this trial and error, and this search for satisfaction, I stumbled upon Trader Joe's.

I will admit, for a long time I thought Trader Joe's was a hybrid between Tommy Bahanna and Pier One, and groceries had never crossed my mind. Based on my online searches they seemed to have the products I needed, and their prices seemed reasonable as well. I decided that it was in my best interest to at least try it out. What was the worst that could happen? My history of pessimism kept my expectations reasonably low, and in retrospect, I apologize profusely for my ignorance.

I could not have prepared myself for the modern Eden that awaited me behind the sliding screen doors of the Trader Joe's entryway. Not only did they have the majority of my overly complex shopping list, but the majority of it was organic, free range, or sustainably farmed, and at reasonable prices!

While I was overwhelmed with possibilities and excitement, I responsibly stuck to my shopping list. I reached the checkout line with a full cart and a smile on my face. As the dollar amount popped up on the screen, I decided I was satisfied with my grocery haul for the first time in a long time.

This is what it looked like. Behold the breathtaking beauty of my groceries. Please disregard the open bottles and empty cereal boxes belonging to my roommate's. No offence, but your food just isn't as aesthetically pleasing.

I cooked from 7:00pm until 11:00pm. Making a batch of shrimp summer rolls, shrimp stirfry, grilled chicken, yellow curry, chia pudding, and meal prepping salads for the next week. I packed my fridge with fresh food for the first time in a long time. My typical brown, burnt toast and peanut butter were replaced by a bowl of reds, yellows, and bright greens.

Yes, this article is melodramatic. However, as many college students know, the effort of cooking a meal can sometimes seem like too much. Especially when you have assignments to complete and work to attend. This is why the inspiration ignited by Trader Joe's was, believe it or not, eye-opening.

If I can continue to buy the food I want, while not breaking the bank, there is nothing stopping me from changing cooking from a chore into a study break. If you are caught in a rut, and takeout food for the third time in a week seems like a good idea, please, for your own sake pay Joe a visit.