i live in vermont. Everyone here recycles, buys local produce, meat, and eggs. We all go to the farmer's market and pat ourselves on the back for being outside eating and talking with our neighbors. There's far more patchouli than deoderant. You're more likely to see bare feet than high-heeled feet. And if your menu is short on vegan items, well, you mine as well pack up and go home.
so how do i fit in here?
in many, many ways I fit in more perfectly than I ever did in Boston, but in other ways I feel like a fish out of water.
we recycle in our apartment - we have a box for our bottles, glasses, etc. We take it to a single-stream recycling bin and call it a day. I can live with that. But the two most environmentally sound practices I've picked up are more fun than the ol' trip to the dumpster and two things I never did in Boston.
1. Upcycling: Taking old things from around the house (or outside) and turning them into a product more useful or beautiful than its original form. I just purchased a new book all about upcycled crafting and I've started a craft night with my co-workers.
2. Thrifting: For people who find recycling and diminishing their carbon footprint to be a tedious or difficult task - thrifting is for them! It's easy and so much fun. By buying used (vintage! antique!) products, you can avoid over-consumption and waste. If it's too taxing on your brain to think of it this way, consider this: the products you'll find at thrift/vintage/antique stores are often of better quality, tell a story, and are far more unique than anything you'd find at Crate & Barrel or a shopping mall and it's usually at a much cheaper price. Plus there's the added triumphant feeling of searching for hours and finding a real treasure.
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