Shopping and Retail Therapy

So, I've never been much of a shopper. I wouldn't consider myself a penny-pincher, I just never really got into going shopping as a hobby. That is, of course, until I went to the Coast Guard Academy where my "freedom" was limited to a few weekend days a month.  I guess you could also say that Danielle (Collins) Rivera and Kelley (Black) Brown trained me to be a shopper. It was my job for the first few years at the Academy to keep them in-check...I even talked Kelley out of buying a pair of "Coach" shoes that I knew she would never wear.  Eventually I gave in and began shopping. There were even a few times we went shopping and I ended up with more bags than they did (these days didn't happen very often, but when they did we always laughed about it).

Dani, Kelley, and I...going shopping (post Academy)

I'm pretty sure they can still out-shop me. Actually, I'm POSITIVE they can; the difference is that now, my shopping is therapy. Yes, I just said that spending money is therapy...I like to call it Retail Therapy. I lived in Key West, FL for two years. There isn't even a WalMart in Key West. So, I only had a few therapy sessions, and one was a trip up to Miami with Rory Keegan and Erin Palmer. We decided that the girls needed to get off of The Rock for a weekend and do some shopping, and it was so relaxing.

Erin, Me, and Rory (New Year's Eve 2009)

Well, now I live in Coos Bay, OR and, while there is a WalMart here, there is still no Target and there are not any real places to shop. So, the past few weeks have been pretty busy for me, and the next few are going to be even busier.  I decided that today I needed to drive the 2 hours to Eugene, OR and have a little therapy session. It was wonderful. I bought a lot of things (most of which were on sale...:)) I went to Applebee's for a late lunch; Yes, I went there by myself...I've gotten a lot more independent living here.  It's amazing what you're willing to try by yourself when you live alone. As a side note, here are a few things you should do by yourself at some point: eat at a restaurant, go to a movie, go to the beach with a picnic lunch, and go to a pottery-painting store. I've done all of these in the past year and I plan to do them again. Back to the topic: I'm not going to try to justify all of my purchases today, because for some of them I really can't. I just know that I really enjoyed my day and it involved me shopping for myself, where I wanted to shop, and at my own pace. Retail therapy helps me make time for myself, which sometimes I lose sight of during the hectic work-week. 

Oddly enough, this is almost exactly what I was wearing today...(Therapy doesn't make me a Fashonista)

And now, after a long day of shopping, I think it's time for bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be a beautiful day. I'd like to hit the beach before the busy week begins. Goodnight!

Much Love,

LB