so, i don't know if i've mentioned it before or not, but i like to shop. i really like to shop. not for the gratification of spending money although i'm not a particularly a window shopper. and i don't shop to fill some unmet-need-type area in my life. to me, shopping is a way to see and learn different places; the trends, the people. some shops take me to areas of particular cities that i might not otherwise visit. the act of shopping allows me to, when the time calls for it, to find gifts perfectly suited to someone, gives me almost personal entry into another's life that i might not have accessed. shopping with someone (which i did today. 2 someones. 2 dear to my heart someones. 2 much younger someones who did not irritate me in the least bit even after traveling and shopping with almost 20 hours!) gives me a "cheat sheet" into who they are. quickens deeper relationships. pretty deep stuff i know, but because shopping floats my boat and i do it often, i've actually given it a great deal of thought. looking forward to doing some more...