It's 8am at Trader Joe's

My Sunday morning ritual and third place

I’m sitting in my car and starting to gather my things. It’s 7:54am and I have my list and reusable bags with me. Trader Joe’s opens at 8 on the dot, but it’s time to get in line. I have some time to catch up with my older pals who also like me enjoy being one of the first few in the store.

I grab my cart and begin to say hi to the folks outside. It’s the usual lineup of customers and Trader Joe’s employees who work the same shifts. We all know each other by recognition, but we’ve never shared our names.

The usual chatter about the weather, how everyone’s weekend was, and seeing any new plants/decorations that Trader Joe’s has. It’s September which means that pumpkins and everything Fall is back.

The bell starts to ring which signals it’s 8 and the store is officially open.

Trader Joe’s Mission Valley

The first thing I see in the store is their selection of flowers. With Celeste being a green thumb, she usually has a great eye for which flowers that she likes for the home. But since I’m the one who usually shops, I use this as a challenge for myself.

I like to see their assortment and pick out the ones that she would like the most. It’s a fun game for me to see her reaction when I’m home. And really, you can’t go wrong with some fresh flowers.

My list and some recent flowers I picked out

I’m usually in and out of the store in 20 minutes. Armed with my list I know exactly what we need for the week, but I also leave some room for spontaneous snacks, because they always have something good and new to try. Also, at this time of day, the traffic is lighter than what it normally is so you can take more of your time when going through the aisles.

When I’m ready to checkout, I try and find the same 2-3 cashiers that I go to. It’s another great time to catch up and see how their week is going while we discuss the benefits of beating the Sunday rush.

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My friends and family jokingly tease me about this ritual of mine and how committed I am to it. To outsiders, it may seem like I’m being a grandpa or being too strict on getting to be there early, but there’s a method to my madness, I promise.

I work from home most of the week and because of this, I don’t have a lot of the same rituals of seeing people in the office, etc. Trader Joe’s sort of fills this void for me. I run into the same people, get to catch up on the week, and just say hello.

Plus, being there early definitely has its perks. Here are some of my favorites:

• Ample parking 

• No lines

• Getting my chores done early 

• Finding all of the new treats while they’re still in stock

This routine started a couple of years ago, but I really got into it last year during my previous layoff. I started to go to Trader Joe’s early just to sit in the parking lot and reflect. I’d speak out loud in the car and say things I’m grateful for or what I’m looking forward to that week. This gradually turned into me recording videos in the car which led to my first editions of Sunday Thoughts.

Well, it’s now 8:22am and I’m headed back to my car with a cart full of groceries. My Sunday errands at Trader Joe’s are complete, but I’ll be back in line next week.

Thank you for reading,
Max

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