Ciena Alipio

My daily walks have started to become the highlight of my days. I am able to take my time outside and take in everything that I am seeing. As I walk to and from classes, I have noticed quite a few more things that I previously had. I have noticed that as the weather has gotten better, more people are spending time on the grass next to Janss Steps and taking in the beautiful campus surrounding them. I also have noticed more buildings and areas of campus that I have yet to explore. Before on my walks to and from class, I always had my headphones in and was just trying to get from point A to point B. Now, I have been doing a better job of taking in everything that I see around me. I know that I have had more time to think and reflect on my day on these walks which I have been enjoying as well. Does anyone know of any cool places to walk to around campus or a hiking trail that is great to just take in your surroundings and enjoy being outside?

Balance is important to sustainability in so many ways. We look at sustainability in all aspects of life. We talk about sustainability in food, fuel emissions, and even waste production. Being able to balance all areas of our sustainability goals is what will keep the world functioning. As much as we would like to be able to focus on one sustainability area, all areas are what matters. Only focusing on one area would be helpful to our environment, but not as beneficial as it would be to do a little in every aspect to better the planet in more ways than one. Balance is not only important in sustainability, but also in life. You can look at being balanced in sustainable ways for the environment and you can also find balance in your own life. As a Native woman and a citizen of the Navajo Nation, I know finding balance is taught amongst our culture. Balance is a key way of life. So, being able to find balance in sustainable ways is very important. Do you have any suggestions for specific ways to be sustainable environmentally?

Having cities that are walkable and more accessible to all, is what I have been doing a lot of research on. As I have been learning more and more about these kinds of cities, I have grown fond of the ideas being presented by those who are trying to implement this into our world now. A fifteen-minute city has many benefits from reducing our gas emissions, to having more personal relationships, to being able to get rid of traffic all together. Being able to get to your destination within a fifteen minute period, give or take a little time, our overall health will be better. We no longer will be damaging our lungs with the harsh polluted air. As more people would walk to their destinations, you would be able to see a significant amount of people in a day and build relationships with people you never thought you would. Having more social interactions could help to keep people from feeling lonely and isolated. All of these ideas are just more reason to implement these close-knit communities into our societies.

I am not going to lie, cutting back on the coffee I drink and the chocolate I eat has been more difficult than I would like to admit. I did not realize how much I ate or drank these things without the slightest idea of how it was affecting the environment. Cocoa and coffee are becoming harder and harder to maintain or grow as the environment slowly declines. Knowing that these are declining due to the rising of temperatures and the effects of our actions, I have become more cognizant of my consumption of these items. So, to help myself cut back on these two items that have been a part of my life for so long, I have found sweet alternatives for chocolate and other caffeine alternatives to coffee. Instead of chocolate, I have been having more fruit. I have always liked fruit, but chocolate always satisfied my sweet tooth better. But, fruit has more health benefits to it and allows me to feel better about my contributions to better the environment. In addition to changing my chocolate intake, I have also been changing my caffeine intake from coffee to teas and caffeinated drinks. I have found that these drinks help with my energy levels, and less jittery. Does anyone have any other ideas or alternatives to my satisfy my chocolate or caffeine cravings?

Tonight, as I ate lunch without the distraction of my phone, laptop, or other electronics, I found that I had a more meaningful experience with myself and the people around me. I was able to connect with my teammates more and I found myself to be more grateful for the food that was in front of me. I know that when I am distracted by my phone or the T.V. I can rush through a meal and just “go through the motions” of eating. Over the years, I have become accustomed to having to do homework when I eat or some form of multitasking at a meal. I typically find it hard to make time to sit down and have a “peaceful” meal. Without those distractions, I was able to enjoy my food more and take the time to have another conversation with someone around me. I normally think of meals as a quick mental break, but today I was able to have time to think, reflect, and find time to laugh with my friends.