(culture shock)

The first I enter is Erewhon. I am jet-lagged and the shine pulls me in like a moth. The soup, stacked in Mason jars, is appealing. I lift a clam chowder and leave when I see it's $20.

The next day, I am more prepared. Yet Wholefoods is too cold. Shivering, I search for something familiar. I almost forget to buy something, distracted by an elevator for trolleys.

Albertsons, Ralphs, Pavilions and VONS. I enter them all and they play tricks on my mind. Apparently they are different, but they blur into one.

In Trader Joe's, everyone wants to be my best friend. They ask about my day, my family, stopping short of my trauma. I walk away with a sticker that reads 'NUTS ABOUT YOU', half convinced that I've found community.

One day, a year or so in, I wake up yearning.

My heart is heavy and I yearn for one thing: Tesco.