A Little Piece of Heaven In A Store

That's right! This is the blogtastic blog you've been waiting for, well at least I know Marybeth has been. It's all about that little piece of heaven in a store... Target! However, this isn't just any Target store... It's a SUPER Target!!! Amazing isn't it! Personally, I believe that every Target should have "SUPER" as part of it's name and the current SUPER Targets should be known as SPLENDIFOROUS Target or better yet, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Target! Regardless, I have waited all my life to enter the blessed red & white surroundings of a SUPER Target. I would not feel complete in my life had I not been able to experience such a magnificent event as shopping at a SUPER Target!

Ever since the day that I knew SUPER Target existed, I knew I would someday walk through those glorious automatic doors. I longed for the day when someone would build such a magnificent place within driving distance. Then one day my husband declared that we would be taking a vacation to Florida. He added that a SUPER Target would be a short distance away from our hotel. My husband, although not obsessed, enjoys Target like any other sane person would. Knowing that I would walk to SUPER Target if I had to, he promised to take me the day that we arrived!

This past April, we left our home in Michigan to start our long awaited vacation. The drive to Florida was of course full of the usual vacation excitement, but I also had visions of SUPER Target dancing through my head. We had packed lunches for the first day of driving and when lunch time rolled around, my husband took an exit that held more than a parking lot and a public restroom. It seemed like fate that we would end up taking an exit that held a little piece of Heaven in a store. We did not have time to shop or browse, however everybody needed to take a bathroom break. What better place to stop than a SUPER Target! I entered and looked around distractedly as my husband pointed in the direction of the restrooms a short distance from the entrance. This would have been the only time I had wished it was in the back of the store! I felt like I was hungry and someone was eating in front of me, unwilling to share. At least I caught a small glimpse of what I was hoping to explore the next evening!

The rest of our road trip was full of boring traffic and listening to the occassional unentertaining voice of our GPS, dubbed Veronica. We stayed in Georgia overnight, before continuing to Florida the next day. There was one interesting stop in Floriday involving a 13' gator, but other than that it was your usual road trip. Then we arrived... at our hotel that is! I was anxious to get settled as my husband took a trip to the Orlando airport to pick up my father-in-law and his wonderful girlfriend. Once they returned, I knew we'll be letting our kids enjoy the company of their grandparents while we took a short drive to enjoy the SUPER Target experience.

When everyone was settled, we were off! My husband laughed at my giddy school girl excitement, but I knew he too was looking forward to this major event. When we pulled in, I was in awe. The palm trees accented the big red target so beautifully. I forced my husband to take a few pictures before entering my favorite store in the world. He again thought I was a little goofy, but he obliged. Once in the store, we ignored our "to get" list in favor of exploring first. The biggest difference from a normal Target were #1 size, #2 a garden center, #3 an entire food & grocery department, and #4 more cool stuff! This particular SUPER Target was the closest to Walt Disney World, so it also held an entire section devoted to the "happiest place on earth!"

While in the garden center, I instantly made myself comfortable on a nearby patio couch. With a chandelier lit gazebo above me, I assumed this would be a very comfortable place to sleep. I instantly considered the thought of moving in. Anyone who has read the book or watched the movie "Where The Heart Is" knows this is a real possibility. My husband burst that bubble quite quickly however and insisted that we got on to our shopping. Along the way to the grocery section of the store, I continuously paused and drooled at all of the pretty things. Then I realized I was walking down aisle upon aisle of real food in Target! I stopped to admire the wine display, of course I don't drink it but I certainly loved the display, and all of the different delicious items that I wouldn't normally see in a Target store.

All in all, my SUPER Target experience was excellent! I could only have wished for 2 more things to really make it even better... #1 that I had more time to enjoy it and #2 that it was down the road or across the street from home!

SUPER Target... truly a little piece of Heaven in a store!