Jaclyn Schwartz

My dog went home to my parents recently so I have been walking less. Last night, I was sitting at home bored and sick of watching TV, so I decided to take a walk. I originally was planning on a quick walk around the block, but my walk ended up taking me into Westwood, where I bought dinner and came home. My walk took over an hour and I came home refreshed. I really enjoyed my walk and until then, I had not realized how much I missed going for a daily walk. It was a small thing to do, but it greatly brightened my mood. It also was good action for the environment as I was able to walk and get my dinner without driving my car or having food delivered to me. I want to continue my daily walks even though my dog isn't currently with me.

Throughout the quarter, I made a conscious effort to reduce my environmental impact by using reusable water bottles instead of purchasing single-use plastic bottles. In the past, I would buy a plastic water bottle almost every day I came to campus, which I realized was an extremely excessive and wasteful habit. I wanted to change, so I made a conscious effort to bring a water bottle from home every day. Switching to reusable water bottles turned out to be easier than I anticipated. This also had a great added benefit, by bringing a reusable water bottle everyday I drank a lot more water. With the bottle there I found myself reaching for it more frequently, which is something I've struggled with in the past. Another benefit I discovered in doing this was the UCLA store also encourages sustainability. They have a section in the store that if you bring your own canteen or bottle, you can get a coffee or tea for only 50 cents! I frequently used this after finishing my water. I love the ice coffee they have. I encourage people to check it out!

I recently was walking with my dog and decided to walk to Westwood. I was surprised to see that an artisan’s market was going on. I ended up looking at all the shops and there were so many cute and adorable ideas. My favorite stall was a woman who made candles. She explained to me that her business was making candles out of used liquor bottles. She had contracts with bars in the area and they would give her all of the empty hard liquor bottles. She then would clean them and sand the tops off. And with the empty bottle she would create candles using ethically sourced ingredients. I bought a candle as a gift to my friend which she loved. I was happy to support her business.

Last week, I tried a new app on my phone called TooGoodToGo. The premise of the app is where restaurants near you will give you the leftovers from the day so they don't end up as food waste, at a very discounted price. I really liked the idea of this so I tried a cute bakery place called Erin McKenna Bakery. I paid $7.99 for $24 worth of baked goods. I've been trying to find a gluten free bakery for my brother coming to visit me that has celiacs disease and thought this was a great way to try it out. When picking it up, I got 2 donuts, a slice of banana bread, a slice of lemon loaf, a cookie, and one other pastry. It was a great deal for the price and all the food was delicious. I definitely will be going back and taking my brother.

This weekend I took the bus for the very first time. If I am being honest, I was nervous about taking the bus. It seemed like an intimidating feat I had never done before, and I didn't know how to start. But I turned to my roommate, who had used it before, and we decided to go to a coffee shop we like in Santa Monica. She helped me get all set up by downloading the transit app and setting up a tap card. We went Sunday morning and headed to the bus stop. Getting on the bus, I did have some issues with the tap card that held up the line. But after that hiccup, the bus ride was quite nice! It was like a 30 minute ride on the bus was relaxing. I didn't have to be annoyed or impatient with crazy LA drivers. I got to relax and chat with my friend. We got to the coffee shop, ordered our coffees, and had an enjoyable morning. We finished our drinks at the perfect time and went to the bus stop a minute before the bus arrived. I got on the bus this time with no hiccups and had the ride back. It was a successful trip.

Overall, it took about the same amount of time it would have taken me in my car. I got to relax and chat with my friend on the way over to Santa Monica. Driving in LA is very stressful for me, and I appreciated not having to drive and deal with that stress. Being on my phone where I could read or just chat was nice. Taking the bus was probably the same price or even cheaper by saving gas and having no parking fees. It also was good to try something new that was positive for the environment. I will definitely take the bus to anywhere in the near vicinity rather than drive.

My only criticism would be how intimidating it was. If I hadn't been with my friend, I wouldn't have known how to use the bus. It is by no means hard, but it can be daunting to do something for the first time. I recommend a way to publicly teach people about it, through social media platforms or by making an incentive for people. An example is "Download the transit app and get the first 5 rides free" or "If you share the transit app with a friend, you each get 3 rides free". This incentivizes people to try and even bring friends to have more people test.

Additionally, I talked to some of my friends who regularly use the bus and heard some of their concerns. One of the biggest concerns was how it can be frustrating to depend on public transportation that isn't always consistent. For example, the buses show up late, or even sometimes, the bus doesn't show up. This can make it hard to depend on public transportation as it can make them late for work or other important events.

The public transportation in LA surprised me by how much I liked it, and I will definitely continue to use it. There are a few things that could be done to make the experience better. Still, as more people use it and more attention and funding are allocated to it, I believe it will become better.

I walked to get a coffee this morning. Usually, I drive my car down to Westwood and pick up my pre-ordered coffee that was made ahead of time at Starbucks. I park my car with the flashers on, jump out, grab the coffee, and run back to my car. Overall, this takes me about 15 minutes to leave my apartment and come back. However, this morning, I decided to walk my dog and walk to Westwood to grab my coffee. I have a small dog that doesn't require a ton of exercise. Usually, walking my dog is a quick task to let her get some fresh air, but it doesn't take much time. Walking my dog to get my coffee this morning was a lovely start to my day. It did take substantially more time than usual; it took a little less than an hour overall. However, it was much more leisurely. Usually, it's a rush to get my coffee, worrying about parking and hoping to not get a ticket. The walk this morning was a refreshing slow walk. My dog and I took our time to get to Starbucks. It was much less stressful and an enjoyable time with my dog. I got my drink, and my dog got a "pup cup" that she was pretty happy about. I took a few minutes to sit and drink my coffee for a few minutes, letting my dog relax. The walk back was pleasant as well. It was all uphill, so my pup was pretty tired by the end of the walk, but that exercise was good for her. Overall, this small switch of walking instead of driving ended up being much more gratifying. I really enjoyed this morning, and my goal is to do this once a week with my dog. If I really need a Starbucks in the morning, I definitely choose to walk instead. This may be a small change to benefit the environment, but it promotes a healthier and less stressful lifestyle for my dog and me while allowing us to spend more time together.