Green is not something I’ve always been interested in. I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest my entire life and it took me until my mid-20’s to care more than a little and until my late-20’s to care enough to start changing my life. When I was growing up “Environmentalist” was a bad word, with negative connotations - somebody who cared about nature or animals more than people; someone who disrupted the lives of people by making it harder to make a living in our local industries.

I don’t feel that way anymore. Actually, I feel quite the opposite. I’m trying to change the way I live to be as natural as possible because I believe it is the right thing to do to take care of the earth, and also because I think it is healthier and beneficial for my family and myself.

Things I’ve been working on lately: reducing my garbage (water bottles, plastics and garbage in general), recycling, buying organic and local (going to the local famer’s market), riding my bike for short trips when possible, washing some of my laundry in cold water, hanging blankets and items outside to dry, switching regular lightbulbs out for more energy efficient ones, and driving our car more often than the truck.

Even the small changes feel really good. :)