Suburbia

Today I ran to Trader Joe’s with both girls and made it home in under 30 minutes. I repeat… I left my house with two young children, I drove to Trader Joe’s, I took two said children inside the store, bought approximately six items, loaded groceries and girls back into the car, and made it home in less than half an hour.

It was a miracle.

Ever since we moved to California, this type of feat has been impossible because we lived in the middle of nowhere.

Not like on a farm middle-of-nowhere. That would be cool. Just in the middle of the most inaccessible suburb in America. We moved into the most amazing neighborhood full of parks and playgrounds, pools and schools. It is probably one of the cutest tree-lined communities in the entire country. And it had so many conveniences, as long as we never had to leave. I could see the community pool, the splash pad, and the library from my front door. It was amazing… until I had to get in my car and go to the store.

The community only had one grocery store and it was expensive and the lines were always insane, any hour of day or night. The nearest Target was 17 minutes away on a good day. An affordable grocery store was 12 minutes. A thrift store where I could drop off donations in the midst of our state-to-state move was over 20 minutes away. Our town was filled with the most random chain stores… Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohl’s (which recently closed down), McDonald’s, Starbucks. It didn’t have a single independently owned restaurant or coffee shop. It was the most inconvenient suburb ever.

I don’t mind driving a bit farther to Target if I live in an exotic locale. If I get to live on a farm in the midst of rolling fields or in cabin in the woods or by the beach, I get it… I chose a fun and unique location over convenience. I’ll listen to podcasts when I “go into town” once a week. But when my house is crammed next door to my neighbor’s house in a master planned community and middle school pick-up off takes place on the sidewalk in front of my living room windows, I expect there to be a Target around the corner. It’s part of the suburbia equation.

We moved a few weeks ago. Our house is smaller and older and there is not a park in sight. We feel a bit cramped here, but it’s just a temporary place until we are onto the next adventure. However, Target, Trader Joe’s, Ralph’s, and Hobby Lobby are all within five minutes of my house. There are two charities right around the corner, where I can drop off donations as we go through all our belongings and downsize. For a mom who must squeeze in all her errands between morning and afternoon nap time, I am rejoicing and running quick 30 minute errands with glee.

This is how suburbia was meant to be.