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Shopping Beyond the Mainstream
Exploring Quirky Shops
Shopping can evoke a wide range of emotions. It can spark passion and curiosity, offer a way to spend time, or simply be part of a daily routine (like a grocery run).
Personally, retail therapy has never appealed to me, and I almost always shop as part of a routine visit driven by a dull, needs-based agenda.
Interestingly, despite being a ‘dispassionate category’ shopper, I still have a list of five quirky shops that have earned a special place in my phone’s photo gallery and in the cherished memories I keep safely tucked in my heart.
The Mountainside Silver Jeep Shop
Thirsty after a long uphill trek, I looked around my quiet mountain environment. Then, the sight of a neatly stacked line of water bottles brought huge relief. Hurrying up to get water, I dug through my sling purse for the right amount of change. Slightly losing my balance, I steadied myself as I realized I was standing on a slope and looked carefully to see that the shop in front of me also leaned slightly to one side, perched on the slope.
Then I realized the ‘savior shop’ in the middle of nowhere was an old, dilapidated, abandoned silver jeep, cleverly parked along the mountainside and converted into an amenities store.
