Karena Caro

Yesterday, my friend and I decided to take a little trip to the Santa Monica Pier. Instead of taking an Uber there like we once did, we chose to take the bus this time. This was a much better alternative considering that public transportation not only helps reduce emissions, but is also much cheaper. In total, we spent $2.20 for our trip, which definitely saved us some money given that an Uber probably would've cost us around $25-35. Overall, we had a good time getting some exercise in as well as time away from our computer screens. We walked the pier, purchased a fruit cup from one of the vendors, and explored the area. I noticed that some of the sidewalks are very wide and filled with many trees which was nice to see. As for the weather, although the sun was out, it was still cool outside which also made it much more enjoyable.

Keeping up with my eco challenge of eating more fruits and vegetables hasn't been too difficult. I have a lot of favorite fruits and vegetables, and I would say that now, I've recently been implementing different types of vegetables into my meals. Last week I had some asparagus and squash, and today I had broccoli and green beans for dinner. I'm glad to say that because my roommate and I oftentimes cook our meals together, I've encouraged her to try different vegetables as well. Not only are they healthy to consume, but make us feel good about ourselves in general.

Today, I chose to put my phone to the side during all my meals. Sometimes I am very tempted to pick up my phone and watch a video while I eat, but I've noticed that when I do this, I don't get to enjoy my food. Considering that we are close to finals, I am going to make it a thing to really limit the use of my phone, especially when eating. This will allow me to truly have a mental break for myself and enjoy a peaceful environment. Even when I do go home and share my meal times with my family, keeping myself away from any distractions will allow me to catch them up on my life, hear about how their days are going, and be able to get some words of encouragement from them since whenever finals week approaches, it is oftentimes a bit stressful.

Yesterday my roommate and I took a walk to the grocery store to purchase some items we needed. This time around we remembered to take and reuse the 10 cent bags we've purchased in the past that have been piling up in our apartment. We also recently invested in a little shopping cart which is extremely convenient so that we can purchase several items and not have trouble carrying all the bags. Something I noticed that could potentially make these trips to the grocery much better would be the cracks on some of the sidewalks. I don't usually pay attention to them, but this time I did since I was pulling our grocery cart and would feel it get stuck. This may also be unfavorable to deal with especially for wheelchair users.

I've been doing a great job of eating many fruits and veggies each day. The fruits I usually have are mandarins, blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries. This morning I decided to change it up a little and had mandarin slices, raspberries, and a banana. Sometimes I forget how good bananas can be, and since the fruits I typically eat are high in vitamin C, adding a banana to the mix was a good form of getting in some potassium. I hope to purchase some different fruits and vegetables soon so that I can switch it up more. I'll probably buy some cucumber, melon, and green beans. Every fruit and vegetable has their own benefits. As I've tried my best to keep up with this eco-challenge, I have noticed that it has made me feel better about myself as I've been avoiding the unhealthy snacks. Anytime I want to have a snack I stop myself from wanting to get chips, and grab a fruit instead.

Today my roommate and I decided that we wanted to go for a little afternoon walk. The weather was enjoyable, the sun was out, but it was still very cool. This time we chose to leave through the alley way which is the picture I have included down below. I like that there are grass shrubs along the sides of the sidewalk, however, I will say that something that could possibly be improved is the sidewalks itself. Considering that this is an alleyway, cars are always making there way through, and since there is only a sidewalk on one side for everyone to walk on, sometimes we find ourselves having to step down to let others go through since the side walk is a bit narrow. Perhaps making the sidewalk a bit broader or adding another one to the other side somehow with the same amount of greenery would be a good improvement to consider and would make it much safer.

Today I decided to take a walk around Westwood with my roommate . It was a good time to step out for a little break and get some fresh air considering that we've been studying for midterms. While walking back up to our apartment we noticed that the bushes in the divider were getting some of their color back. Not too long ago, they appeared a bit dried out and not many colorful flowers were out, so this was nice to see. Also, even though it rained a little today, I always feel that whenever it does rain, the air definitely feels a bit cleaner which makes walks more enjoyable. As for something that could be improved to make these walks even more enjoyable is the amount of trash on the streets. My friend and I did notice a lot of food wrappers, which is unfortunate as it could make its way into our oceans through the sewers, ultimately affecting our sea life.

Today I was able to have my last two meals of the day without any distractions. Usually I've had a bad habit of keeping my phone near me, even if I don't plan on using it, but this time around I decided to leave it in my room. It is very tempting to want to use my phone whenever I see a notification appear, even if I tell myself to not use it during a certain time. As soon as the phone lights up, I catch myself eyeing it, so in order to avoid this I chose to remove it from my reach. I highly encourage others to practice mindful eating. It has taught me to practice self-discipline much more. I've found that when incorporating this eco-challenge and freeing myself from any distractions, there is more time to enjoy my food, and enjoy conversations, especially when sharing this time with others. Because my parents worked today, and my sister had school, we didn't get to share breakfast and lunch time together, however, we did when it came to dinner. In a way, I've already practiced mindful eating often when eating with my family. We usually take this time to unwind and relax while getting to hear each other out. For instance, we each shared how our days were going, and any plans we had for the week. It is only when I am alone that I want to have my phone with me and scroll through social media, yet during the times I've made sure to not use it, it has always been extremely enjoyable and peaceful.