Indy Bui

I never really thought that deeply about how much plastic I really use in a week or even in a day. I have always avoided plastic straws typically, but didn't even think about the plastic produce bags, or plastic cups at restaurants. Sometimes when I don't have time to cook I would eat on campus, which inevitably leads to use of plastic utensils or plastic cups for water at some places. Though I do think it is interesting that UCLA is trying to use compostable containers and cups. Alot of packaged food at the grocery store does have plastic, such as meats, snacks, and a lot of other goods as well. It is hard to avoid these, though eating less meats and snacks probably would be an overall good thing anyway. I find that it is not too difficult to avoid single use plastic in my life outside of these food related plastic items. I guess plastic wrapping along store bought goods is also probably a big contributor. I do try to drink water out of a glass mug whenever possible, and I don't really end up buying of commercial products (plastic packaging). Overall it really mainly is food that is a main contributor of my plastic use. I do want to invest in some reusable produce bags for individual items, and potentially get my meat from the butcher which uses paper instead of plastic packaging instead. Though I should look into some other ways I can cut down on plastic use in these cases. I do want to try and cook more, so I should be eating and drinking less at outside restaurants. Overall I am looking forward to learning about new ways to minimize my plastic use.

I feel that initially I got a lot enjoyment out of walking. I very much began to look forward to my walks home from campus in the evening, especially after going to the gym. I do realize that I am able to notice more while walking, such as the wind blowing the trees or just watch other people walking to class. I also started walking a bit around some of the buildings on campus to explore when I had 20 or 30 minutes between classes. I found some nice quiet spaces on campus that I now like. One thing recently though is that because I have become busier with school and work I have noticed that I am enjoying these walks a little less. I find that it feels like more of a waste of time since I have assignments to do and less time to myself. It is difficult to balance both of these feelings because I do truly enjoy walking, but when life gets hard it makes it also difficult to enjoy the little things. Hopefully as things settle down after finals I will start to look forward to these walks again.

Recently and primarily due to the class, I have been trying to get some of my close friends to try and use public transit more. I understand that it is incredibly difficult to avoid driving for most of us, but I have been trying to get my friends used to not driving whenever possible. Fortunately, I was able to convince one of my friends, who drives everywhere (literally he likes to drives to the gym), to take the bus to get coffee instead of driving. Honestly, I was very proud of him for being open to the idea. Though during the same conversation another friend of mine also ridiculed both of us for wanting to take public transit. She was saying that it was so much work to take the bus rather than drive, and listing other reasons why driving was way better. This kind of pissed me off. After some reflection and thinking I do realize its impossible to convince everyone of something. I am somewhat content knowing I can make someone think about their choices and actions in a different way, even if some people might disagree.

I have always loved eating fruits and vegetables and I like to have broccoli or spinach with a lot of my meals. Unfortunately, I also have always loved and continue to love eating meat. I think that the traditional diet for most college students involves more prepackaged or frozen meals and lacks a lot of vegetables as a whole. Recently, I have been starting to cook a lot more often and I've been trying to add more vegetables to all my meals. Not eating as much meat has been pretty difficult for me to be honest. I've been trying to go to the gym and eating protein is important. I have realized that there are other ways of getting protein that may be plant based, but I do need to do further research on that. Overall I have been slowly shifting my portion of straight carbs or meats towards vegetables and it hasn't been too hard.

Before high school I would take the bus to school and typically dread waiting for it in the mornings. I did also take the metro in D.C. often and enjoyed riding the metro. I started driving in high school, and during that time I rarely used any form of public transportation. There is a sense of freedom and independence that comes from driving yourself everywhere. After high school I moved here to UCLA for college and I currently don't have my own car. In some ways it is nice to not worry about parking and paying insurance, but I do also feel that I am somewhat limited in where I go compared to my peers. I do take the bus but it does require some planning ahead compared to just driving. Though, compared to ubering or driving, taking the bus is pretty cheap. I think it is hard, especially in the U.S, to move away from cars and driving. Convenience, time saving, independence, and freedom are big things that many people value and associate with driving and not with public transportation. I do think that this is also because our public transit systems are not as trustworthy and developed as they could be. Because I currently do not have a car, I am a little more conscious about my travel habits and am more likely to take public transportation. However, I do think that If I had kept driving throughout college I would not have the same perspective as I do now. Overall it is hard to reconcile the practical positives of driving with the knowledge that cars are not very sustainable.