NBD

I've spent many of the recent gorgeous spring evenings laying in my yard, watching the clouds roll by. On one such occasion, this word invaded my head: Insignificant. Before I could stop them, my thoughts were spiraling out of control and into anxiety as I realized the magnitude of the world around me; that I am one small life out of billions. What can any of us possibly have to offer?

My roommate working from his home office, my ex boyfriend salmon fishing in Alaska, my best friend caring for wolves at the Detroit Zoo, my brother fighting wildfire in Nevada. These four as examples are all aware of each other, and would probably tell you they don't have much in common; would never choose to do what the others are doing. Yet, their significance is so intense, it is almost easier to ignore than to acknowledge. As a few of the most important people in my life, this is simple for me to say about them, but it is true for every single life on the planet.

When my parents tell me they love me, when my coach says he's proud of me, when my dog (literally) jumps for joy at the sight of me- these are all times I feel significant. So, what am I getting at here? We all want to live in a world full of things that make us happy. Consumerism, conservation, crossfit...whatever it is, we all make conscious decisions to keep these things in our lives. It is not the government, or big business, or terrorism that changes the world. It is every single choice made by every single person to keep themselves feeling significant. This is what we each have to offer.

My goal, to keep my little green life growing, is to make choices that are not only right for me, but make sense. A global, social and environmental responsibility to do "the right thing". I stress this because I know, even as just one life out of billions, everything I do is important. I'd like to live in a world where everyone feels this way.

"The choices we make about the lives we live determine the kinds of legacies we leave"

-Tavis Smiley

P.S.

'Project' update:

Two days ago, I planted a vegetable garden! Whoa, impressive, right? Good thing we've planted more trees and plants than I can even begin to count over the last 4 months at work- at least I had a slight idea of what I was doing. Broccoli, cucumber, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, etc...can't wait!

Both composts are doing better than expected, although we add to the food bin so often that it isn't ready for the garden...I have a second bin laying around and may stagger them so the first has time to cook. My trash can is nowhere near full, consisting of mostly protein bar wrappers, bandaids and pet hair.

Exciting things lay ahead of me in the near future...I don't want to give anything away, but I'll be posting as they happen. Don't forget to follow @alittlegreenlife on Instagram, and keep up with my monthly Conservation Corps blog! Happy trails!

Switchbacks

Everyone has one little life. Every day and every action is a chance to make a big impact; on yourself, on others, on the future.

As my Little Green Life grows, I think it is time to transition this blog to reflect the bigger picture. Last year, I was one bag of trash. This year, I will be so much more. I picture 2015 and beyond as a steep mountain, the trail full of switchbacks:

Solitude.

Something I constantly crave and never really achieve. I was grateful to be able to spend a few days alone at my cabin- which I kept at a balmy 35 degrees fahrenheit. Frozen food and lack of wood forced me out a bit earlier than I would have liked, so I've decided I will have to find simple, daily ways to seek solitude and look inward.

Strength. 

I thought I was already strong- phew, was I wrong. I started training at Crossfit Kingfield and unpleasantly discovered all the hidden muscles my body is composed of. It may be an addiction for some; for me it is hard work. I'm committed and determined to use this outlet to physically and mentally challenge myself. I've made some friends, too- bonus!

Health.

Being a vegetarian crossfit-er is interesting.  I used to be able to get the protein I needed from a PB&J, then snack the rest of the day because, who cares? I'm trying to be more aware of what my body is asking for and answering with some sort of appropriately packaged sustenance.

Action.  

This is my favorite, and what I'll focus on when writing from now on. I've joined the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa. Tomorrow, I start a 10-month term working on conservation projects around MN. Yes, yes, YES! Just the thought of doing something every day that makes a significant and visible impact shoots adrenaline through my veins.

Of course, I have to make sure my growing life still makes a little footprint. None of the specs of last year's project have changed- one of the 2015 goals is to create as little waste as possible- but this year I'm not going to work as hard to quantify it. I know I can do it; now I get to encourage others to do the same. Or force them, if you happen to be one of my roommates.

Since I left you abruptly in 2014, a quick update on the project, as it is ongoing. Our recycling is constantly overflowing, and both composters are steaming! I've put another bag in my garbage bin, and continue to keep it separate from the boys'- mostly because this means I don't have any responsibility for taking out their smelly stuff. I'm not sure when it's safe to plant a garden in Minnesota, since snow and frost occasionally happen well into May, but we'll be doing that as soon as we can.

That's it for now! I'm off to learn how to cook tofu...sigh.

"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it."

-Andy Rooney

New Year, New Bag

Three hundred and sixty five. Such a small number of days in which so many things have changed in my life. A year ago, my new year's resolution was to complete this challenge- to create only one 13 gallon bag of landfill waste during 2014. Today I can say I've succeeded! Here's what I have to show for the last year...

13 gallons of trash, 2 hot composters, and full recycling bins. What more could a girl ask for?

There is much I can say now to make this a lengthy and meaningful post, but I'll keep it short and sweet. I'm happy and humbled by the outcome of this project, as it quickly became about much more than my garbage. The last 12 months taught me many lessons about strength, about love, about myself.

Most of all, I've learned that a little green life can have a big impact!

Celebrate what you want to see more of!

-Tom Peters 

One Small Step for Man...

OK, somehow, I made it! Last Friday my brother, cat, dog, Toyota Camry, U-Haul trailer and myself took off to begin my newest adventure. With a short detour in Wisconsin for camping and Costa Rican rum consumption ("but why is the rum gone?!"), we made it to Minneapolis Saturday afternoon. Each day since then has consisted mostly of socializing, room decorating, dog walking, and getting lost trying to make it into the cities (thanks for nothing, Siri).

I won't bore you with more details about my somehow incredibly smooth transition from country roads to city sidewalks, but I do need to get mushy here for a sec and send out some heartfelt thanks. To my parents and family, for their remarkable and unwavering support through every chapter of my life. To Kerrin O'Brien and the MRC, for making this last year of opportunities and self-discovery possible for me. To my friends, because I can still feel their love from here. To my new roommates, who took me in no questions asked. And finally to my brother, for being my courage and my pride when I can't seem to find any.

Alright, ew. Now we can get to the exciting stuff. First of all, this city is amazing. Pedestrian friendly, dog friendly, earth friendly. The only things I miss about Michigan are Kroger, Meijer, and the bottle deposit law. I guess Target, Trader Joe's and awesome recycling will have to do. When I say awesome recycling, I mean it. I have a single stream recycling cart sitting in the alleyway behind me that was emptied by the city on Tuesday; today is Friday and it's already full again. My roommates already recycled, and have been 100% receptive and supportive of doing more. We now have 6 bins for recycling in the kitchen, and compost in the works. 

My personal trash can suffered minimally from the move, additions mostly consisting of 3M Command strips. I'm keeping it in my room for now to avoid confusion and chaos.

Brother and I spent some quality time with tools this week, making new compost bins:

 

 And here we have Tommy Mac, modeling this season's latest trend in poop composters

This was SO easy. I don't know why I bothered with making them from pallets before. I picked up two 32-gallon "trash cans" from the store, about 20 bucks each. For the food scrap composter, we drilled aeration holes around the sides and the bottom, and I placed it next to the vegetable garden today. The poop composter used the same concept, but we cut off the bottom of the container, as demonstrated in the last picture (don't worry, he's actually wearing pants). Assuming it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'll be digging a hole in the yard to sink this into. Keeping it underground should control odors and aid in the composting process...but I've never done this before so it should be a fun experiment.

Well, there you have it. Of course I'll continue my regular update here, but follow me on Instagram for picture updates from around the cities! @alittlegreenlife

And so begins the rise of my many suns...

Captain's Log

Time is such an incredible thing. I've been training myself to enjoy the hours in a day; to fill and explore them instead of count them. Empty time feels like a burden. 

Time is on my mind. There are 7 days left until I uproot to Minnesota, which feels like an eternity, but is actually less than 175 hours. Not that I'm counting.

I've packed, unpacked, and repacked multiple times already. Inventorying my belongings is such a struggle...I imagine those cute little devil-angel duos as I argue with myself:

"Aww, notes from my middle school boyfriend professing his love for me. Too bad we were 12. Toss." "...but what if you bump into each other in 5 years and rekindle your love?? You can show these to your kids!!" 

"I haven't worn this in over 3 years, time to give it away." "...but what if you make a lot of fancy friends and they invite you to fancy parties and you need something fancy to wear?!?"

Sometimes I let the irrational/sentimental side win, but I think I've done a decent job of convincing myself that if I get rid of things, I have a really good excuse to go shopping later.

What I have been able to part with has caused some issues. Most of it goes in the give away box or the recycling bin (yes, I did get rid of those middle school love notes)...but the moldy bow from a flower arrangement at my Nana's funeral in 1998? The stack of Oregon Trail and American Girl CD-ROM games; the various cosmetics given to me as gifts by people who hadn't noticed I clearly have no idea how to use them; the plethora of Backstreet Boys and N*Sync albums?

Most of this random, #throwbackthursday-worthy crap went in the trash, or is sitting around in the basement because I can't decide what to do with it. Seven days to figure it out, right?

So, speaking of trash, it's about half-way full:

Like the pics? Follow me on instagram for more! @alittlegreenlife

I've been slightly more liberal lately about the products I use and toss, since it's not as full as I thought it would be by now. I know that's probably not the right attitude to have about this project, but to be honest I'm mildly overwhelmed by the current happenings of my life and some days I just need a f*%#ing individually wrapped protein bar, okay?!? Phew, sorry for the aggressive escalation...but you see what I mean. 

I've done some digging into recycling services offered in Minneapolis. As you can guess if you've heard anything about the progressive nature of the city, they offer both recycling and composting at the curb...score!! I'm so used to dragging all my recyclables to the nearest drop off center that the thought of only having to roll a cart to the curb is especially exciting.
We may do some backyard composting too if I can get the roommates on board, since they already have a vegetable garden going. Pet waste will be a challenge again...I'm certainly not dragging the outhouse-composter all the way to Minneapolis. I've researched some other methods, so we'll see what will work when I get there. 

Alrighty then...that's it for now. Stay tuned for an update from MPLS!

A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. 

Pura Vida!

Somehow it feels like I've been back from Costa Rica for much longer than a week and a half. It was a 10 day whirlwind of long bus rides, bathroom breaks, early mornings, posing for photographs, anxiety, and too many people. Hmm...does that make it sound like I didn't have any fun? I think I left out the part about hiking, kayaking, zip lining, horseback riding, white water rafting, swimming in the ocean, seeing a whale, touching a crocodile, planting trees, close encounters with monkeys/sloths/iguanas/birds, learning new things, making new friends...and getting an awesome tan.
So, despite my aversion towards humans in general, I actually had a pretty good time with some pretty cool people.
The best part? Recycling! Almost everywhere we went had a convenient recycling and/or composting station- hotels, restaurants, street corners...even the beach!

As you can guess, I was overly and outwardly thrilled every time I saw a new recycling container, and had to take pictures of them all. I got plenty of "must be another tourist" looks from the locals...and from my American counterparts. As far as waste goes, we didn't directly accumulate much because we ate out for every single meal. I'm still struggling with how to make a meal on my own now that I'm back home...

What I wasn't able to discern was where the recycling goes when it is hauled away. My limited research (typing "Costa Rica recycling" into Google) gave me many different answers- but it seems as though there are some recovery facilities, thanks to efforts from organizations that value the role recycling plays in keeping the country sustainable. This little country accounts for about 0.03% of the Earth's landmass, and 3-5% of the biodiversity. In other words, sustainability is a big deal in Costa Rica. I can dig it. 

As I've witnessed regularly over these last few months, literally nothing in life ever goes to plan. 5 year old me planned on being a rich, world renowned, supermodel veterinarian by now. 20 year old me planned on being a financially stable, has-it-all-together wife and mother by now. 24 year old me wonders what the in the hell those other Anna's were thinking. 

I've learned a lot about myself and about life in the last months: Life is hard!! It's OK to get to know people, and maybe-possibly-if-they-continuously-annoy-you-until-you-give-in, let them get to know you too. Taking risks is fun. Shovels make the best therapists. Happy memories will always be happy memories. Sweat is sexy. I am strong, smart, confident...hell, I'm even kind of cool.
You're wondering: why am I babbling on, sharing my infinite wisdom, when I'm supposed to be talking about recycling? Well, this project is about more than recycling. If you recall in my first entry, I explicitly stated that this project is about my life.
So, here we are again, the part where I make an important announcement about a change in "the plan". After learning all of the above about myself, I've discovered I'm constantly craving these changes. My brain tricks me into incessantly planning everything, but what I really need now is a challenge, a chance to be brave. In order to satisfy this craving, I'm moving to Minneapolis, MN (I know, I know, I made it seem like a really dramatic announcement was coming...sorry). I do have a few friends there and a place to live, but no job lined up, and no idea what is coming for me once I'm settled. The uncertainty is what scares and excites me. Anyone can slip on a harness and bungee jump...but this will be harder for me than putting trust in a rope. I have to put trust in myself.
Hopefully this will be the first step on the path that gets me to wherever it is I'm going!

I'm on the hunt for who I've not yet become.
-Sara Bareilles

Life Block

Life Block: With distracting tendencies similar to writer's block, this disorder seems to be a surreal form of nostalgia that occurs sporadically during daytime hours, peaking in severity around 9 pm. Sufferers first report symptoms after an extended and particularly enjoyable time spent away from real life. Indications of the disorder include daydreaming, erratic episodes of happiness or sadness, continual rambling about the experience, and the repeated phrase "I want to go back". Treatments have limited effectiveness. No cure at this time. 

OK, so I made all that up. It's still a pretty accurate medical description of what I am experiencing at the moment. If you hadn't already gathered, I had a wonderful, amazing, unforgettable time working with WisCorps. Disclaimer: this entry will contain many photos. Sorry, not sorry. If you want to see more, catch up on the WisCorps Facebook page. Here's our good-looking crew on the first day:

After this was taken, we all got much darker, stronger, and more badass. As if you weren't impressed already.

A brief synopsis so as not to bore you with all the awesome things we did...

Week 1: spent in Bayfield, WI building two boardwalks for Wilderness Inquiry. Deet in excess. Beautiful sunsets over Lake Superior almost every night. Power tripping with power tools. Finished products:

Week 2: Two days in Eau Claire, WI. Planted 300 Elm trees with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Cut down an outrageous amount of Box Elder yearlings. Moved to LaCrosse, WI (WisCorps HQ). Set up camp on a bluff with this view: 

The rest of Week 2, 3 and 4 were all spent there working on various projects. Learned about and moved UW-L's vermicomposting system. Helped finish a HoopHouse for Grow Your Brain. Worked with Kane Street Community Garden, Washburn Community Garden, and Clearwater Farm. Did household and neighborhood projects for elderly citizens. Toured Western Technical College's passive house. Made friendship bracelets. Ate A LOT of cheese. 

Don't worry, it wasn't all work and no play. Evenings and weekends were filled with music, laughter, fun, food, and even wine:

Four weeks of living, working and playing with 6 other people definitely gives you time to get sick of each other, but in the end I wish it had been much, much longer. I made great memories with lifetime friends, learned a lot about myself, and developed biceps that have shadows. I couldn't have asked for anything better. 

I know, I know, you're on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about the most important part of the trip- recycling! It didn't turn out as challenging as I had expected. Wilderness Inquiry had a recycling bin provided on site, so we didn't have to pack anything out. The WisCorps offices have recycling as well, so every few days we would stop by to empty our "trash can" (a 5 gallon bucket) and separate out the recyclables. We also kept a bucket for compost, which we added to the pile at the office. With 7 of us sharing food, etc, there was no good way for me to keep track of what I was contributing. Overall, we didn't accumulate that much waste, so I think my impact was minimal.
The City of LaCrosse also has recycling bins next to almost every garbage container, so recycling while we were "out and about" was easy. 
The hardest thing for me to get over was the lack of a bottle bill in Wisconsin. I panicked the first few times I watched someone crush an aluminum can, and was in pain seeing valuable bottles get thrown away. I worked hard to suppress my trash picking urges on every street corner. Instead, I hope I inspired the members of my crew to make small changes to reduce their waste. Our crew leaders should be getting plenty of practice at that right now, since they left this week with another crew for a 5 week session in Isle Royale. You're in my state now guys- don't mess it up!!

Experience is the teacher of all things.
-Julius Caesar