Alexandra Balsamo

2. I have learned how much impact we have on our personal environment through this challenge. One of the things I chose to do was meal prep. It is sort of difficult to do as a freshman in college, however I like to write down what I want my meals to be for the day then plan my day around that. This “meal prepping” has helped me eat healthier and more sustainable food products. In “Real food, the best diet” the guy talked about how important it is to cut out sugary drinks. I used to like to drink a vanilla latte once every few days, but now I tend to just get Americanos. I also feel that meal prepping helps our personal environment. By making sustainable and healthy choices (such as buying farmers market organic strawberries as opposed to Walmart brand) we are contributing to a better life for ourselves and for the environment. By meal prepping, I am able to plan my meals and where the food comes from. I can support local farmers by planning my meals and what I'll need before I go out to shop and then shop at a farmers market.

3. The historical origins of conservation and the counterculture that I relate to the eco challenge is Hetch Hetchy. They wanted to build a dam so that the people of San Francisco would have water, however some people disagreed because they felt it would ruin a national park. We know that they did build the dam and it was good. In our reading about organic farming, we learned that a lot of the mom and pop farms were sold to big corporations and now most of the big corporations claim to be organic. These are related to the challenges because it shows us that we have to look outside the box. For instance, if I really want something fresh, organic, and to support local farmers, I should go to a farmers market rather than the grocery store to get my produce. For my one time challenge this week, I chose to host a viewing party of a documentary. I am excited to find a good one to share with my friends! I want to find one about American farms and organic food.

1. I enjoyed these daily challenges. At first, I was unsure about them. They just felt like tedious tasks that I had to do and get done. Once I started doing them, however, I looked forward to them. It gave me time to be by myself and be more mindful. Watching my spending habits was the most considerable help of the challenge that affected me the most. I typically buy many unnecessary things and am always influenced by what I see on my social media. For instance, I currently have six lip glosses, which is ridiculous. I had a habit of just getting stuff and feeling like I needed it when, in reality, I didn't. By being mindful of my spending, I didn't make any unnecessary purchases and feel better about it. As I love a good retail therapy session, I don't need one every single day. The only thing I spent money on this past week was necessities, which for me was food. I did, however, buy a new pair of running sneakers. However, I consider these necessary because I run daily, and my old sneakers were mileage out, giving me shin splints. This part of the challenge helped ground me and my spending habits, as it kept me accountable for seeing what I was spending. Watching the sunset and sunrise was my other daily challenge, which I found very therapeutic. I enjoyed taking the time for myself every day and night to enjoy the world's beauty. I especially enjoyed it when the sky was pink. My one-time challenge was to make my core values, which impacted me less than the other two. However, I enjoyed brainstorming them and seeing what is important to me. It also offered me a new journal prompt for my nightly journaling, which I liked.

2. A barrier to making these lifestyle changes permanent would be time. I'll be unable to allot ten minutes every morning for the sunrise. However, I will be able to see the sunset. For this challenge, I may have to adjust it to sunrises on the weekends and sunsets every night. For spending, I tend to spend more in the summer as I go home to Italy, and my mom and I stock up on goods for the rest of the year. We go to Italy during summer, also the "saldi" season, so everything is on sale. Typically, I spend most of my time here and enjoy shopping during this season with my mom. I don't think I will cut out all shopping; however, I will be more mindful of what I am buying and what I already have and not spend on unnecessary items during the year.

3. I am willing to make these lifestyle changes permanent. Not only do they have a positive impact on the environment, but they also have a positive impact on me. One piece from class that stuck with me was Thoreau's argument that you don't need stuff, and stuff doesn't make people happy; I found it very interesting and insightful. As I mentioned above, I love to shop and to take on the task of watching what I was spending was eye-opening. I also found in this short week that I don't need to get something new to be happy constantly. I could fully enjoy what I had and be grateful for that. Thoreau's piece resonated with me, and it helped me fully commit to the challenge and not feel the need to shop as much. I also really enjoyed looking at the sunset at night. We have such beautiful sunsets here, and I feel that it is important that we take it Lewisburg for all it has to offer. I would also watch the sunset sometimes with my roommate, which I felt offered us some bonding time and time to talk, which I very much enjoyed.

B) Switching to cold water and taking shorter showers will most impact my ecological footprint. I typically take very long, scalding showers, which I know is terrible for the environment. Sometimes, I sit in the shower and let the water run over me. I mainly do this in college because I don't directly pay for water. In the Economy reading, it said: "I have no doubt that some of you who read this book are unable to pay for all the dinners which you have eaten, or for the coats and shoes which are fast wearing or are already worn out, and have come to this page to spend borrowed or stolen time, robbing your creditors of an hour." This quote struck a nerve with me. It made me realize that just because I can do something doesn't mean I shouldn't. Just because I don't have to pay directly for water usage doesn't mean I should take thirty-minute showers daily. By cutting down my shower time and temperature, I will be a much better friend to the environment.

C) Yes and no for this question. On one hand, everyone must make a conscious effort to conserve the environment. Conversely, small changes by one person or a small class don't change much. I feel that the challenges can change people's personal lives for the better, but not necessarily the world as a whole. I think it's tough to make a political statement with most of these challenges for politics. Some challenges, such as hosting a meeting on an environmental issue, may help if you reach enough people. Others, such as watching the sunset and sunrise every day, I don't think will do much for politics. Socially, I feel like it can address the challenges we face personally. I believe that by talking to people, they may be swayed into trying one of these challenges if you speak passionately enough. The article Where I Lived, And What I Lived For said, "Our life is frittered away by detail." While this statement had a negative connotation, I feel it can be spun positivity. While details can get people spun up, they can also get people thinking. By telling people details about issues we passionately discuss, they might also grow a love for the issue. Finally, the economic part will also help on a personal level. Taking shorter, colder showers won't put the country out of debt, but it could save you a bit of money. Overall, the Economy article summarizes the situation well: "It is a fool's life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before." This quote says that we all live foolishly and need to wake up and see what we are doing that is ruining the world and how we fix it. Overall, the challenges may have little impact on the big picture but will improve my personal life.