Driving 2 hours to shop at Trader Joe’s once a month, worth it

• Since moving to Indiana, I have to drive two hours to get to the closest Trader Joe’s.
• Some items are worth making the trek for, like the granola bites, cacio-e-pepe ravioli, and syrup.
• I also pick up some non-food items each visit, including the pop-up sponges and dog treats.

When I lived in Southern California, I had tons of Trader Joe’s locations to choose from. But now that I reside in Southern Indiana — where there are only four stores in the entire state — I drive two hours to and from the closest location.

Because I live so far away, I typically travel to Trader Joe’s once a month, stocking up on lots of canned goods and cleaning products. I even bring a cooler to take home perishables.

Here are the 11 things I buy that make the long journey to Trader Joe’s worth it.