How HRT Changed the Way I Eat | Eater

"A large warehouse-style shopping trip perfected into an efficient route—first the personal care aisle for Kirkland-brand minoxidil, then a pallet of Diet Coke, and finally the snack aisles in search of a 30-pack of individually portioned “snacking nuts”—highlights the store’s bulk, value-oriented offerings. Filling a cart with three pounds of nuts became both a practical purchase and a symbolic moment, as the author connected these value packs, membership culture (Gold Star card), and the store’s masculine-coded inventory to a new sense of belonging during medical transition. The visit culminates at the self-checkout when an out-of-date membership card prompts the clerk to ask, “Is she here with you?”; the clerk ultimately waves the author through, a quiet but meaningful gesture of acceptance that lets him leave with his nuts and a reinforced feeling of being seen as a man." - AC Lamberty