I like to begin at the grocery store.

Moving is intimidating. New place, new people, new streets, new bus lines, new jobs… Well, new everything. It never matters if you're moving to a different city, country, or hemisphere - there's always something new to learn.

And I like to begin at the grocery store.

When we first visited Sydney in August, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with the newness surrounding us. So, one afternoon I walked to the local supermarket determined to make some sense of it. I ended up wandering down every single aisle. It was information overload and I concluded my two hour tour by purchasing a bouquet of flowers and four bottles of wine. 

But I no longer felt overwhelmed.

Learning the grocery store sounds simple, but it gave me confidence in our new location. I knew what we could eat, where to find it, and how to prepare it. I felt like I had unlocked the secret to life here! I was as proud as our Neolithic ancestors must have when they discovered farming. (True - that's an unfair comparison. But considering our initial diet was ice cream, popcorn, and prepackaged dinners, introducing "real" food was practically revolutionary.)

This time around we are living in a different suburb than before. New neighborhood, new train station, and new grocery store. But I've already conquered it. We spent about an hour there this weekend and even bought enough food for two weeks. We've quite quickly transformed from the whoknowsifwe'llstayhere diet to thisisreallifeweneedtobuymorethanpopcorn. We've even used coupons and BOGO deals.

I don't think I'll be a true local, though, until the clerks know my name. Or know me as "that girl from the States."

Or at least as "that girl who never can find serviettes because she calls them napkins."