Living a More Sustainable Life

Looking back at my Amazon experience this past summer the one theme that really stands out is sustainability. Learning about birds and the rainforest and getting to see an array of amazing wildlife (GIANT RIVER OTTERS!) was great, but you can’t take them home with you. One of the things I enjoyed learning more about was how to live more sustainably and to start thinking about my ecological footprint. We talked a lot about trash and plastic usage both in Peru and at home and ways we can reduce our ecological footprints. We also discussed heavily how our actions at home impact the rainforest and the rest of the world. It was really amazing to see how far reaching simple actions can have and how disconnected being at home and living our lives we can be from the rainforest and ecological problems. It was these discussions that have stayed with me the most since I returned home and that have inspired me to make changes.

Since returning home I have made two major changes:

1. I started using reusable shopping bags. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, but would forget to buy a reusable shopping bag or forget to take the one I had. Not only have I completely stopped using plastic grocery bags when grocery shopping, but I have also found that I limit what I buy to what will fit into the two bags I own.

2. I started looking at what I am buying and thinking about how much garbage I am generating from buying that product. I switched to buying the larger container of yogurt instead of the individual cups. Not only am I saving money, but I’m also getting more servings without the added waste. I have also started buying less microwavable meals like lean cuisines and taking leftovers for lunch instead. This also has limited the amount of trash I produce and has saved me money as well.

The Amazon was an amazing experience and I feel like I have taken more home with me than my previous EEs. I’ve started looking at my actions in a different light and want to make more ecologically friendly choices. It’s never too late to make changes. This world is worth saving and as we saw in the areas of secondary rainforest. The rainforest can recover from what we've done to it, we just need to make the necessary changes so it can continue to recover and flourish. 

 Sunrise on the Madre de Dios River

 Giant River Otter-Lago Sandoval 

 Squirrel Monkey-Lago Sandoval

Secondary Rain Forest

African Adventures

This trip and experience has been exactly what I needed this year.  In March, I was told by my old boss that I couldn’t be a zookeeper and do this program.  Her words gnawed away at me.  My mental state and spirit had been declining at work and this was the dagger to the heart.  I was devastated that someone who had been so supportive of me doing this program was out of the blue so against it.  Fortunately, I was able to get a new job where everyone was very supportive.  My new bosses even rearranged the whole department’s schedule so that I could go on this trip. Despite all the support of my new coworker and bosses, my old boss’s words were still in the back of mind.   

Going to Namibia was a trip of my many firsts for me.  This was my first time flying overseas, first time being in Europe and Africa, and my first time really having to navigate multiple flights and airports by myself.  I had been crazy excited about this trip since I found out I was going back in January so when I woke up on my flight to Johannesburg at 3:30am and saw we were over Angola, I had my first “Africa” moment.  I couldn’t believe I was over Africa and that I would be spending the next two weeks here.  The adventure that awaited me was truly life changing.  It gave me back my fire.  I got to Africa not knowing what to do and I left determined to show my old boss wrong.  I can be zookeeper and change the world. 

Looking back on this experience, I don’t know that one particular moment stands out.  There are so many incredible things we got to experience and share together. But if I have to choose one, I think it was when we went on the game drive after having all those lectures.  I sometimes have really bad anxiety in social situations and I’m always wondering and questioning if I’m really part of the group or if people really care what I think.  I remember on the game drive singing Hakuna Matata and being weird and silly and being totally content.  There were other people who were just as weird as I am and we were fully embracing our weirdness.

Game Drive

Hakuna Matata

I came home completely rejuvenated and feeling supported.  I remember talking about my master plan and how it had completely fallen apart.  I remember the looks on everyone’s face when I told what my old boss had said to me.  I remember the support and love I felt from everyone.  I’m extremely happy I got to meet all these wonderful people and got to share this experience with them.  When I think about this trip, I think about the animals I got to see, but I mostly think about the random moments I had with people: Finding other goat obsessed people, staying up all night at the water hole in Etosha, singing Hakuna Matata on the game drive, hanging out by the fire, and that first night we all thought we were going to be eaten by a leopard. 

All nighter at the water hole: 3am lion pride

Baja Mornings

Baja was full of incredible people and experiences. Discovering the vast amount of life in the desert and in the ocean. Whale sharks and dolphin pods. Every experience was amazing. Amazing, one word that appears a lot throughout my journal. One experience that was overshadowed by the incredibleness of each day of activity was the start of the day. Waking up as the sun rises, listening to the birds wake up is something I miss when my alarm starts blaring. Early morning was the perfect time for reflection and anticipation of the coming day. The quietness and sereneness is something you couldn’t get anywhere else. Listening to the waves and birds while most everyone was still sleeping was the perfect way to start the day. 

Whenever life is getting rough and I’m feeling beat down, I look at these pictures and I’m reminded of the calm and relaxing rhythm of the waves, the quiet, and the family I found. My sunrise pictures make the perfect background on my phone because there can be a little bit of Baja with me where ever I go. Every time I check what time it is, I’m reminded of our amazing experiences and my Baja family and the craziness of my life seems a little less daunting.