By Perri
Life on the road is full of surprises. One of these is my recent fondness for Walmart. My love (well… like, Strong like) surprised no one more than myself.
In 55 years of house-bound living, I barely saw the inside of a Walmart. And when I did, I felt assaulted by the high ceilings and bold florescent lighting, the cement floors…. and always so crowded! Even the yellow smiley face logo weirded me out. Even the nickname (Wally World, really?) offended my sensibilities.
Before we hit the road, I’d read many a mention of Wally-World in other van-life journals and thought: Uh uh. Back home, in Western Mass, Walmart was a hard no. It was half hour away, and anyway, I tried to shop local when I could– local grocery chains, co-ops, close-out box stores when I needed something specific. Sure Walmart was marginally cheaper than these options, but the cost of forcing myself into the parking lot, of wandering the too-wide aisles full stuff, of waiting in endless lines under a florescent barrage… was too much,
But times change. Now that we are living in a van, experiencing a constant new, every Walmart feels like an old friend.
I love the grocery section, with its cheap veggies, its “international food” aisle, its local beer, kombucha and tofu. (Yes, Walmart has these things.) I also love that they have the brand of dog food we need for Milo…. and propane for our campstove and tools and vitamins and whatever else might be on the list. When you are on the road in a large unwieldy vehicle, searching out and stopping at three different stores is a lot of extra.
Also, Walmart is about 30% cheaper than other grocery stores. With three college-student children, one salary and a gas-guzzling home, we need to watch those pennies.
Now, I know that Walmart had a hand in the demise of downtown centers and local shopping. (This was one of the reasons I avoided it in my more settled life). But that ship has done sailed, and it is is neigh impossible to find a locally owned grocery store on the road– let alone one that carries tofu!
Though we have never stayed in a Walmart parking lot, it is nice to know that it’s an option. We appreciate the possibility, and also the services offered. In the fall we got our free COVID and Flu shots at a Walmart in Lake Havasu, AZ. And, there is a water tank fill up in most stores too.
So yes, Walmart. The predictable layout, the prices, the sheer sameness… or should I say awesameness? I wouldn’t go so far as to say I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I see the familiar blue and yellow signage, but it does come close.
