Brand Loyalty

I remember feeling completely overwhelmed in the grocery store when I first got here. I didn't know where anything was in the stores. I didn't know what anything was, either. All I saw was a sea of unfamiliar products and unfamiliar brands, and I had no way of knowing what kind of quality I was in for. I had no idea how I was going to manage without the conveniences of canned soup and boxed macaroni and cheese. For a long time, I sustained myself solely on grilled cheese sandwiches.

However, four months later, I am happy to report that I could probably navigate a Mercadona in my sleep. I can whip up some darn good meals from these ingredients that only a few months earlier seemed so strange. I have gone to a large assortment of grocery stores, checked out their shelves, and seen what they have to offer. And I've eaten far fewer grilled cheese sandwiches in recent months.

To this day, I still buy familiar American brands. Heinz. Hellman's. Old El Paso. Dannon. Coca-Cola.
But now I'm developing some new brand loyalties as well. I know that Hacendado is usually pretty reliable. Bimbo is guaranteed to be good bread. Pascual has decent milk. And I have yet to come across a dish soap that is better than Fairy.

Moral of the story? Some of the things that once overwhelmed me have become so inconsequential. Give it time, and you can make a life almost anywhere. Or at least, give it time, and you'll eventually learn how to grocery shop anywhere. I guess 'making a life' is still in the works.