You know when you first go into one of those huge mega malls? You're excited. You're overwhelmed. You know what to expect. At least you think you do. Most of the big malls have pretty much the same thing so you know which places you want to hit. And because it's a
"mega" mall, they don't just have a Tarjay, (Target, for those who don't speak French) they have a three story Tarjay, a stadium sized Sephora, rows of massage chairs to help you stay relaxed so you'll keep spending, and a food court on the top floor big enough to have it's own zip code. You're almost euphoric and you immediately calculate (the way you do at amusement parks) how much walking you're probably going to do in a couple of hours.Hold on there, hot foot! That's when a giant alarm should go off in your head because you are unconsciously preparing to trick yourself. Although you do burn calories just by being alive, shopping does not come under the heading of exercise no matter how fast you pull your money out.Yes, walking is great but you're window shopping a lot and that's more of a stroll, really.If you hit a snag and can't find what you're looking for, one of those thoughtfully placed "mega" information signs will point you in the right direction as well as give you some perspective on how much ground you've covered. When "Where You Are" is all the way across from "Where You Want To Be", you might even feel justified getting that cinnamon ball the size of an ottoman to keep you from getting light headed during your long trip up the escalator.That amazing smelling hunk of dough is just close enough to the helpful directory to make
it seem helpful as well. Saved you from extreme hunger! Ohh, the mall design is no joke. It is far more clever than that of your local grocery store. The mall is cunning. You're not going there for food. You're going there for electronics, and baby clothes, and shoes, and linen, or to buy a gift for that thing you gotta go to that you don't really want to go to and... wait... is that Meatball On A Stick?! Right next to the ponytail kiosk? If you've been shopping longer than a half hour you are no doubt already feeling dwarfed and a little bit dizzy from the mega-ness. It's just one meatball, after all. Not a whole sandwich with bread or anything like that. Just breaded and on a stick. No, you didn't come here for food. In fact, the "food" is kept relatively far from you in that zip code needing food court. However, the frozen yogurt place is only two steps away, and Personal Pan Cookie is right around the corner. But with all the walking... surely by the time you actually get to the top floor to
grab a bite you will have walked off those little pit stops.Yeah, right! Too bad that mall directory can't tell you where you
really are. In between your favorite boutique and the penthouse smorgasbord (where things can get out of hand), is a mine field of strategically placed comfort eats and if you don't have your wits about you, you'll set yourself up for failure faster than you can say Dippin' Dots. The truth is, although it's more convenient to eat in the mall, it's actually better to have a well balanced meal somewhere else
before you go in. I know many people don't like to try on things after they've eaten but it makes more sense to switch it around. You eat first.You're not starving so you're less likely to go for the first edible thing you see.You walk around for awhile, giving the food time to digest.You shop, you leave, you win! Seems like a small thing but when you connect enough of these conscientious decisions together, that's when you get the positive change for the rest of your life. So here's the deal... mall hopping is not a cardio workout, but making better choices for yourself will lead to feelings of giddyness and the irresistible need to dance with joy and that, I can assure you, is where you want to be.
