Zack Vayda and Genuine Progress

I've always been an introvert. I do enjoy being around people and groups at times, but it usually tires me out. On the other hand, when I get a chance to be on my own for a while, it invigorates me, recharges my batteries. I value my space, and last night was a perfect example of that.  

I got off work around 6:15. I knew I had the next day off work, so I planned on grabbing a slightly less healthy dinner than what I usually have on the weekdays. One of my roommates is out of town for the week for work training and I found out my other roommate was going to be staying at his girlfriends place for the night. My mood immediately lifted from that point on. 

After forcing myself to exercise, I showered and drove to Weiland's, a family owned grocery store I had heard good things about. The store is probably the coolest grocery store I've been to in the states. It looks just like any other grocery store, but 100% of the products are either foreign or fresh, or both.
Anything you may want to get fresh, you could get there. There was the average fresh produce section, one side of the store was for the butcher cutting meats of every kind, another for the cheeses being packaged right in front of me and being set out in a display the length of an isle, and another corner of the store was for fresh seafood. Fresh seafood. In Columbus, Ohio. 
There was another room attached to the store (maybe a later addition) that was specifically for beer. Local beer, imported beer, lagers, stouts, IPA's, you name it and it's there. You wouldn't find more options in a liquor store. 
There were two or three isles specifically for wine from anywhere in the world. I don't know much about wine, but I do understand price stickers showing three digits on a single bottle of wine, so I have to assume it is good quality. 

All that was amazing, but my favorite section of the whole store was in its regular isles. 90% of these products were not from America. I walked down isles with coffee from Italy, baking products from France, syrups and jams from Spain, biscuits and shortbreads from England, chocolates from Germany and pita bread from Greece. I love to travel, and I was so happy to find myself amongst products from some of my favorite places around the world. Instead of making me wish I was in a different country, it reminded me of the fun I've had on past trips, my excitement for the many trips I'll have in the future, and it made me appreciate that I had a small taste of those experiences only a mile from my house.

After picking out chocolate chip macaroons from France, coffee from Italy and having a riesling recommended for me (that had a price tag much closer to one digit than three), I picked up dinner on the way home and settled in for the evening. I spent my night curled up on the couch with my roommates (occasionally not terrible) cat, eating dinner and macaroons, drinking the best riesling I've ever had, playing video games, listening to playlists from John Williams and Hans Zimmer, watching movies and enjoying some of my favorite company; me. 

I've talked a lot about my search for happiness and what happiness looks like as an adult. On my way back to my house I was at a red light (the same red light from a past blog, in fact), and as I sat there I said, "huh," out loud, to myself. This is it. This is what happiness feels like as an adult, and it's much simpler than I thought it would be. 

Happiness is a pleasant shopping experience, a good riesling, and a little space.