Note: This post is part of an ongoing blog series called #costamesa365 where the author is striving to shop only* in her city of Costa Mesa, for a year.
Since starting the #costamesa365 challenge, I’ve been really, really focused on Costa Mesa.
Where should I get salad?
Where do I buy gas?
How do I shop for birthday gifts sans Amazon?
All eyes on Costa Mesa since Jan. 1. So much so, that I seem to have forgotten something. Whoops!
It just occurred to me that sooner or later, I am going to need to address the issue of all the shops and services I have left behind.
I mean, Stonefire Grill and the HB Trader Joe’s I used to frequent don’t actually miss me, except as a slight dip on their January end-of-month report.
But my hair stylist and auto mechanic and optomologist – all located in neighboring cities? Do they deserve a phone call and explanation?
I won’t lie. My first (not best) impulse is to just ghost them and hope they don’t notice. The phone call will be awkward. What do I say? “I am moving on because you’re not in Costa Mesa?”
I could say that it’s just temporary. “See you in 2020!”
But will I really go back?
If I find a hair stylist and auto mechanic I love just as much – but with the added zing! of supporting my city – the truth is I won’t ever go back. My spending habits will likely be forever changed after a year of spending only in Costa Mesa.
So, how do I break up gracefully?
How have you broken up gracefully?
Or did you ghost?
How do you think I should handle it? Chime in our Facebook Group and let me know.
Ghosting may feel easy in the moment. But being haunted by my conscious? The stuff of nightmares. ♥
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*We will always start by shopping / looking in Costa Mesa, first. But if we really need something and an alternative is nowhere to be found in Costa Mesa, we’ll stray. Also, as parents, we’ve decided that certain kid-related things (mainly educational) will need to remain baked in.
