Shopping locally

I love to shop on the internet.  I get a little put out when going to a local store and finding their prices high and selections minimal. But as I had the opportunity to live in Peru I was able to see how narrow and inpatient my thinking and experiences were. A short example would be our daily food needs. While in Peru in a common day we would buy just what we needed for the day, 1 cup quinoa and a mango for breakfast,  2 eggs, 1 cup of lentils, onion, garlic, and a sweet potato for lunch and 2 rolls, avocado, and fruit for dinner. Because all their food was local and fruit was vine ripened we would often have to switch out the mango with another fruit when the mangoes were out of season and be sure to buy fish when the fish boats were in the dock.  I soon learned that what I was giving up in variety and convenience I was gaining in flavor and quality. Nobody would consider buying the bread they would need for the next day because it would not be fresh. The Peruvians were proud of their cultural ways and foods, in this regard they pitied the American ways. Through close observation of their food traditions I came to the belief that being closer to your food source has many healthy ramifications both in diet and in behaviors. Benefits that I want to have in my own life. I now at least try to first buy local, in season produce and support local venders and craftsmen. This is a hard and lofty goal in a country that has so fully embraced globalization but it is a way of life that I want to explore and find compromises that will work for me and contribute to a stronger sense of community.