Yesterday I decided to walk to the Post Office and then to the library instead of driving, and I have to say, it was a very pleasant experience. It’s hard to resist cliches when you talk about walking somewhere as opposed to driving there. You really do have a chance to notice your surroundings more. It really is less stressful than driving in traffic only to find that there is no where to park. You really do have time to think.

For example, I noticed several businesses on Commonwealth that I hadn’t seen before. While I had noted that there is an Ace Hardware store on Commonwealth and Harbor, I didn’t “see” it. From what I could see through the front windows, it is an old time kind of hardware store. The sort of place that you can buy a KitchenAid stand mixer and also pick up a package of nails. I also had the opportunity to note that they have a huge collection of Smith and Hawken garden wares even they went out of business last summer. I also took note of a wine bar I want to check out and an Italian restaurant with a nice patio.

But more than just noticing shops and restaurants, you notice people. When you walk somewhere, you have the opportunity to really take the temperature of the community. You can actually see people’s faces. Imagine that. And people who are walking, seem way happier than people in cars. When you’re in a car, the people around you are the jerk who cut you off and the moron who keeps changing lanes. There is no such competition or ill will on the sidewalk. At least not in a place like Fullerton. Maybe in Manhattan walkers are more cut throat. But on my way to the library, I smiled at a toddler sitting on the bus bench and she waved back at me. I also listened in on snippets of conversations between people getting off a Metrolink train. They seemed engaged and relaxed. Not harried and drained like most car commuters.

Less philosophical and more in the realm of practicality, I learned that it isn’t really that much faster to drive than it is to walk short distances. I’m not saying that driving isn’t faster, but it doesn’t save as much time as you’d think. Because I was walking, I was able to cut through the train station instead of waiting through several lights to make a left onto Commonwealth. And as I mentioned earlier, there isn’t any congestion on the sidewalks and no need to spend time finding a parking spot. You’re also so mentally engaged–or at least I was–by the shop windows, gardens, and other walkers that time feels like it is passing more quickly.

Walking was such a nice experience, I think I am going to try and convince my husband that we shouldn’t turn on our car’s ignition a single time this weekend. I wonder if we could do it?

When I moved to Fullerton, I started Googling to see where all the stores that I regularly shop at are located. I’ve been a regular shopper at Trader Joe’s since I moved to the San Fernando Valley to go to college. I continued shopping there when I moved to Long Beach, and I expected to find a local Trader Joe’s in Fullerton. After all, a city with 126,000 people, a major university, a solid middle class and several upper-middle class neighborhoods would seem like Trader Joe’s heaven, right?

Wrong. There is not a single Trader Joe’s in Fullerton. The closest one, as far as I can tell, is in Brea (2500 East Imperial Highway). It seems to be a pretty good store. It get’s good reviews online, “Any Trader Joe’s is great, but the one in Brea, I have to say is very good. There is something about this store that makes you feel comfortable. Even when it is crowded, it does not feel uncomfortable or cramped. The staff is always very helpful and very nice.” There are also Trader Joe’s in Cerritos, Yorba Linda, and Tustin. But not Fullerton.

Why is that?

Trader Joe’s was started with the idea of attracting well-educated people, looking for something different and a little bit exotic, but with keen eye for bargains. Do Brea and Yorba Linda have more exotic tastes than Fullerton? Or is it our education level that has kept Trader Joe’s away? A certain Fullertonian addicted to Peppermint Joe Joes need to know!