Crash Course in What I Don’t Want
All this being said, I don’t regret my time in New York.
Knowing what I do know would I have taken that path? No.
Do I think I would have learned as much about myself and what I need to feel fulfilled in a different situation? Also, no.
New York wasn’t the greatest time in my life, but I do think it will make creating a life that I truly enjoy that much easier.
Graduation… Now what?
I thought it might be time for a quick life update, seeing as I have missed a few months of blogging. This past month I graduated from Stanford University! It has been a wild ride of a senior year but I pushed through and now I have a Bachelor of Science in Earth Systems with Honors! I just want to take some space here to reflect on graduating and look forward to what comes next.
An introduction to the Social Ocean
This quarter I took a class called The Social Ocean. I will tell you what that meant in the context of the class, but first I want you to think about what it means to you. What is the “social ocean?” For me, the “social ocean” encompasses the concept that we are all connected to the oceans. The oxygen in approximately every other breath you take is from photosynthetic algae in the seas. We are all reliant upon the oceans and connected to them, no matter where we live. The oceans are inherently linked with human society and culture. The “social ocean” encompasses all of the ways that we as humans interact with the seas as well as all of the ecosystem and organismal interactions within the oceans. What did you think of when you first read “the social ocean?”
30 x 30 in the US
Last quarter for one of my class projects I explored what it would look like if we fully protected 30% of our national waters by 2030. Now that President Biden has signed an executive order to start making progress towards this goal I wanted to share what I completed last quarter. This is by no means a recommendation, and I do not claim to be an authority on where and how we should be protecting the oceans. I do however urge us all to do our part to make sure we protect the world around us so that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty of this planet.
Making the Most of 2021!
Let’s move forward in 2021 with more gratitude and understanding. We have all had a tough year and are looking forward to some change in 2021. Remember that 2020 was a call to action. A chance for us to really think about what is important to us and learn how to implement it in our lives. Don’t let that reflection and realization go to waste! 2021 is going to be a good year, but you have to want it to be and work to make the most out of it.
Vote!
Voting is how we can tell the people in power who we want to be leading us and how we want to approach issues such and climate change and the pandemic. We have the faculty to put the people we trust and believe in in power, why would we not!? Why would anyone not fill out a ballot, however you can in your state? If you are voting by mail, make sure to send in your ballot by October 27th (to make sure that it arrives before election day). We all were blessed with individual thought and the ability to express it in our country, why would we not take advantage of that privilege? So many others can’t express their individual thoughts, but we can. AND WE SHOULD!
An Honors Thesis in the Midst of a global Pandemic
It is in times like this that you really appreciate how connected and collaborative science really is. I wouldn’t be able to conduct the research that I am without the help of my advisors, but also without the previous research and investigation of so many scientists whose published data I am gathering to answer this question. In order for me to conduct my research and complete an Honors Thesis I need the work and input of many, many scientists who came before me and all of those who helped and mentored them. We are all connected and current research and discoveries wouldn’t be possible without all of the work put in by those who came before us.
R Planet: Live Considerately
If you want to try going low-waste or vegan but are intimidated, don’t worry. Every small step counts, and the best thing that Raina and Rhema recommend you do to get started is to educate yourself and the waste management and recycling systems in your area. Once you know a little bit more about waste and what happens to it after it leaves your home, go through your trash and figure out where it is all coming from. Just being aware of the trash that you are creating is a huge step to reducing your waste! It isn’t about eliminating your trash altogether (or being able to fit a year's worth of trash in one jar) but being more aware of the impact that you are having on the environment. It is all about “PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION!”
Sharks are friends, not food
If oceanic ecosystems were to collapse 3 billion people, mostly in developing countries, would lose their livelihood. Sharks are an integral part of these ecosystems that so many rely upon. As apex predators they control the populations of the fish below them. They go after the sick and injured fish, removing them from the population so that the future generations will be healthier and stronger. Without sharks the populations of the fish that they eat would explode with impacts that ripple down the food chain. Eventually it would all collapse and the oceans would no longer harbor the amazing diversity of life that it does today. Without healthy populations of all the fish in the sea the delicate balance of life would be thrown off, and billions of people would lose the ecosystems they rely on for sustenance forever.
What will life post quarantine be like?
Personally I will to remember how sad it can be to stay stuck inside all day. I will spend more time appreciating what I have instead of dwelling on what I could or did have. Most importantly, I will remember just how big of an impact we are having on the planet. We have been blessed with this time of reflection and we should take advantage of it to identify how we want to live our lives going forward.
Goals
We all have a place where we feel the most comfortable. Whether that is your bed, or your favorite bookstore, there is a place that makes you feel content to just be. That is the feeling that I want to try to capture and hold onto each and every day as I work towards a healthy lifestyle for myself and Mother Earth!
New Year, New Decade, Fresh Start
Every year we all approach the beginning of the new year as a fresh start. A new year where we can do anything that we want to do. Why is it that this is the only time that we feel like we can make meaningful changes in our lives? Why don’t we approach every day as if it were New Years?