When I discover something unique and interesting, I often feel like a kid, full of awe and excitement. Recently, Tony and I took a day trip to a nearby city. We couldn’t find much to do–other than stopping by a fast food joint for lunch–but my eyes lit up when I spotted the sign “Ray’s Candy Barrel.”

I didn’t know what we’d find, but the inside of the store exceeded my expectations. The owner, Ray, had stayed true to the Candy Barrel theme by filling the room with wooden barrels, which were overflowing with rainbow-colored candy. I felt like I was in another era, setting foot inside a store that had never seen the days of big-chain competition. Apparently, the locals were just as enthusiastic about it, because the store was doing “very well.”

We learned about the fudge-making process, and I sampled their delicious red velvet and chocolate mint fudge. Then we spied the pieces of candy that had bugs and worms in them (“the bestsellers”). The woman who ran the store told us about the little boy who had bravely begun eating one to impress his friends. Of course, as soon as his friends went to the bathroom, he had begged her to throw it away because his tongue was “starting to touch the worm.”

I love places, like Ray’s Candy Barrel, where I can forget about the pressures of being thirty-one and celebrate the simple joys of being a kid. And, if we ever go back to that city, I know where I’ll be stopping in for a piece of fudge. Or–if I’m feeling brave enough–a worm lollipop.