It's that time of year again...you guessed it Lent. Each year since college I have given up something that I truly love for 40 long days and long nights. It really is 47 days, but who's counting (oh, I AM!!!)? My normal sacrifice has been my beloved friend-alcohol! However, since I have just moved to a dry country, I feel that is not challenging enough. And for some reason that is still unknown to me--I love a challenge. So here goes...
This year I have decided to give up shopping. Those who know me well, will know that this is without a doubt, my favorite activity, second only to breathing. And I mean I LOVE IT! To give those of you who don't know me as well an idea of just how much I love shopping, on my first return trip home from Guatemala, I cried, literally cried when I first stepped foot in Publix (a Southern grocery store chain). I love any kind of retail venue. The mall, this goes without saying. The grocery store, each visit is a minimum of two hours. The hardware store, I have the floor plan of Home Depot memorized. The craft store, it takes an act of Congress to pry me out of there. The gas station, you would be surprised what wonders are hiding in those aisles. You name it--I LOVE IT!! I think you get the point...this sacrifice is a big deal.
What does this have to do with a Bakala you ask? And what the hell is a Bakala? Thanks for asking! A Bakala is a local mini-mart. Tiny, tiny, tiny, and small. About the size of my mother's living room. It has everything you could possibly need and then some. To make this Lent even more challenging (remember I told you I love a challenge), I have limited myself to only shopping at the Bakala behind our house. I can't take total credit for this idea...my former roommate Andrea and I came up a similar challenge while we were living in Guatemala. We just never got around to doing it...Andrea, if you are reading-- we could make this challenge intercontinental!
The rules this season are as follows:
Let the fun begin...
This year I have decided to give up shopping. Those who know me well, will know that this is without a doubt, my favorite activity, second only to breathing. And I mean I LOVE IT! To give those of you who don't know me as well an idea of just how much I love shopping, on my first return trip home from Guatemala, I cried, literally cried when I first stepped foot in Publix (a Southern grocery store chain). I love any kind of retail venue. The mall, this goes without saying. The grocery store, each visit is a minimum of two hours. The hardware store, I have the floor plan of Home Depot memorized. The craft store, it takes an act of Congress to pry me out of there. The gas station, you would be surprised what wonders are hiding in those aisles. You name it--I LOVE IT!! I think you get the point...this sacrifice is a big deal.
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| Bakala Qamar...my new shopping destination. |
The rules this season are as follows:
- I can only purchase necessary items that I am planning to consume right away.
- I can only buy Mimosa's dog food outside of the Bakala.
- I can not eat out, unless I am on vacation.
- I am limited to one magnet and one keepsake from each country I visit during Lent.
Let the fun begin...
You were grumpy enough in Guatemala. Are you sure this a good idea?
ReplyDeleteIt will be fun! Want to try it in Jordan...I mean you only ever make it until the first Friday anyway...
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