Marine mammals inspired me to seek a greener lifestyle. What inspires you?
Collective Transformation - what does that even mean? To break it down into its simplest form, collective transformation (to me) means to embrace change and take action as part of a community. You have the benefit of absorbing the passion, motivation, and intention of like-minded people when you align with a mission, so even when your personal motivation levels are low and you are confused about what you alone can do next, you can turn to your community and take direction.
Read MoreWhen it comes to shopping for ethically-sourced and sustainably-produced products, not a lot of people stop to consider their jewelry. Many of us are starting (or continuing!) to ask questions about where our food, our clothes, our beauty products, even our cleaning products come from…but our jewelry? I’ll admit, I didn’t think much about where the metals that make up my necklaces and rings come from, or where they were being produced; I’d buy pretty pieces from small businesses and feel happy enough about supporting a local, family-owned operation. And while that is incredibly important, there’s an important part of that supply chain I was overlooking: the source of that metal and the labor needed to craft it.
Read MoreAh, the blissful Salish Isles. Home to one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, this part of the world is a marine lover’s paradise. Therefore, my paradise. San Juan Island is the most populous and second largest of the 172 named islands in this area, and it’s my favorite place on the planet. I feel like I’ve gotten to know this little gem of an island pretty well over the last few years. I’m in no way claiming to be a local or a full-timer, but I've spent three summers here and have sprinkled in numerous other visits over the last five years. And being a gal with a hearty appetite and a love of good planty food, I’ve done my fair share of culinary exploring. The low population means that there isn’t a huge variety of vegan restaurants - or any other type of restaurant, for that matter. But the type of people that are drawn to live here tend to open some top-notch dining establishments with a real farm-to-table flair. Although seafood reigns king on most of the locavore menus, you’ll still find plant-based delights galore - especially during the summer.
Read MoreMy parents and I decided it was safe and within our realm of responsibility as decent human beings to visit Leavonworth, WA last weekend. This is quite a unique little town tucked away in the Cascades near Wenatchee, and the scenery is absolutely astounding. The biggest surprise? The Bavarian theme that runs throughout the entire town! Apparently, back in the ‘60s, the economy was struggling thanks to the complete die-out of the once-booming logging industries. Town leaders decided to focus instead on tourism and came up with the bright idea of changing Leavonworth’s appearance to draw visitors into the mountains. The inspiration? The epic landscape around the Bavarian alps in southern Germany. Thus began the cute Bavarian shops, restaurants and festivals (I’d love to go to Oktoberfest here!).But all those adventures certainly made me hungry, and a vegan girl gotta eat! I was pleasantly surprised with the plant-based options Banff provided. And to make things simple for my fellow vegan travelers, I wanted to let you know where I imbibed:
Read MoreI know I’m not the only one with a family that’s been spending way more time in the kitchen than normal, courtesy of the current ‘ronacoaster. I’ve been whipping up homemade granola bars, getting creative with the toppings on my freshly popped popcorn for movie nights, and trying out most of the recipes from a vegan cookbook I was gifted for my birthday (written by one of the gals I’m about to mention in this post). Kitchen time = quality time.
I’m not going to lie, though; I did go on a bit of a hiatus from cooking for a while this past year. I was finding it incredibly draining to cook for myself all the time, especially when I was around others that didn’t want to eat vegan, and eventually, I found my love for being in the kitchen draining out of me faster than my girls and I drain a bottle of wine.
Read MorePlastic sucks, plastic is bad, plastic doesn’t biodegrade, plastic kills animals, plastic is in our food…
We all get it. It’s probably not beneficial to keep hearing all of those facts in that manner, either, because the more we hear the negatives, the more we tend to tune out and focus our attention elsewhere for the sake of our sanity. But NO! There’s a different way, ya’ll. Let’s dive into some positive living! I can’t be the only one sick of hearing all this blibber blabber of negativity.
I saw a really amazing Green Dreamer post on Instagram the other day about the importance of not thinking about “fixing” the shit we’re doing to the planet - instead, how about we radiate some positivity into the future, produce more good things, and take positive action? It may sound like one and the same, and the actions may indeed be identical, but it’s all about the mindset behind the motion.
Read MoreThis post is about the magic of Banff, Canada and the vegan food I experienced while I was there! A few weeks back, my parents were headed up to this haven in the Canadian Rockies and invited me along. Naturally, I said, YEAHS! I remember visiting Banff National Park once before when I was much younger and gazing across the most beautiful glacial lake I’ve ever seen (Lake Louise), and this time around, I was excited to see it all winterized. WHEW, I was not disappointed! We maximized our snow time by cross-country skiing over a few days, hitting the slopes at Lake Louise Ski Resort, and simple jolling around the downtown Banff area.
But all those adventures certainly made me hungry, and a vegan girl gotta eat! I was pleasantly surprised with the plant-based options Banff provided. And to make things simple for my fellow vegan travelers, I wanted to let you know where I imbibed:
Read MoreWhether or not you’re a fan of new year’s resolutions, 2020 is rapidly approaching and provides the perfect opportunity for a fresh start and a blank slate in all areas of your life. Many of us tackle the challenges of physical health, joining gyms and yoga studios or opting to hold ourselves more accountable for our daily runs or CrossFit classes. Others of us make goals about how to grow in our careers, aiming for a new promotion or a switch to a more fulfilling job. Some of us look for ways to become more mindful, adopting a new meditation practice or simply allowing ourselves more “me-time.”
These are all, beautiful, worthy resolutions, but there’s another realm I’d like to explore for my own 2020 goals: detoxing my digital space.
Read MoreI love when I meet a new eco-entrepreneur who is starting a business that’s more focused on showing love for the planet than earning profits. Throughout my travels, I’ve realized that you can find like-minded people all over the world who aren’t afraid to get out there and make things happen. It truly is an inspiration when you see these people using their creativity and innovation to promote change! That’s why I was so excited to come across Seasick Sunscreen Co., a boutique eco-friendly sunscreen start-up based in Wellington, New Zealand.
Read MoreMy friend Fi and I had some fun creating this blog post on eco-friendly fashion, the thrift-store way. Thrift shopping is an awesome way to share some love with the planet and refresh your wardrobe. Fast fashion is straining our planet’s resources - read more about what you can do to ditch this approach to shopping and adopt a more sustainable attitude.
Read MoreLately I’ve been thinking a lot about routines and rituals. Specifically, I’ve been contemplating how important they can be for our mental and emotional health, and how sometimes, even maintaining a semblance of ordinary or familiarity can help you adjust to challenging new situations that would otherwise be rather anxiety-inducing. I’ve started keeping a few different routines over the past several months. Right now, in hindsight, I find this interesting, as my mantras used to be evolve or be left behind, accept change, adapt constantly, don’t get attached to things that you attribute to your identity, you are constantly in metamorphosis… I never liked the idea of a routine. I thought I would be wasting opportunities to try something new if I kept repeating old habits.
But maybe the real beauty lies in the fact that you can enjoy self-transformation while staying consistent and true to actions that are serving you - i.e. some sort of routine
Read MoreLately I’ve been on a kick discussing motivation, self-exploration, and mindfulness. Most of this probably stems from the changes I’m going through right now, moving to a new island and testing the waters of a new job; I find change sparks quite a bit of internal reflection. I think it’s appropriate to mention some of the books that have changed my way of thinking and played an influential role in helping me develop new perspectives and trains of thought. I’ve always been a total book nerd. Every single time I go visit home, I go to the library and 1) spend a couple hours just devouring book covers and sleeves and then 2) checking out more books than I could possibly hope to read in a year, with the ambition of finishing all of them in the few weeks I am spending at home. I just love that the entire world is at your fingertips in a library! You can learn literally anything. You pick your lesson. Does it get better than that? Life is one big classroom; you might as well show up having devoured as many books as you can.
Read MoreThere is a crazy new adventure on the horizon! One of my best friends and flatmates, Fi, and I are heading up to Tonga to work with humpback whales for the austral winter. I’m so thankful that for the last four years, I’ve been able to spend at least one season with my favorite cetacean species. Humpbacks are such incredible, majestic creatures to encounter on the water. With their extra-long pectoral flippers, inquisitive eyes, and acrobatic nature, they never cease to delight guests on a whale watch (or make me scream).
Read MoreI’ve been feeling the need lately to share the confusion that’s been going on in my head, so this post is a bit more of a journal entry, with plenty of relevance to eco-living and the challenges we “green dreamers” face. I hope that by elaborating on my own thoughts, I might reach someone else who needs to hear that there is another human being experiencing the same emotions. The world is encountering a new level of challenging times right now, and I personally recognize and feel this more and more as I get older, experience the world further through travel, and engage in more and more inspiring conversations with people from across the globe. We are all handling the challenges (whether they involve social injustice, climate change, pollution, food shortages, and other sticky issues) differently, because we are all unique individuals with our own brains and different wiring systems. I tend to feel most strongly and passionately about the “eco” side of things; that’s just where my heart lies. I still get angry and flustered and hurt when hearing about other issues - but one girl would go crazy if she poured all of herself into too many concerns.
Read MoreTwo weeks into 2019 and it’s going to keep chugging. Does it feel any different than 2018? Not really. But I do have this sensation, this impatience, this sense of urgency that seemed to ring itself in along with the fireworks and champagne on New Year’s Eve two weeks ago. We all have our challenges that we want to tackle in 2019, our resolutions that we’re hoping to stick to, changes we want to implement in our own lifestyles. For those of you whose resolutions involve tackling the issue of plastic pollution and the impracticality of the “throw-away” culture, please read on. This is a guide on realistic changes you can make this year, and how you can actually keep these habits throughout the coming months instead of getting reabsorbed into the old ways. If you feel like I feel on these topics, you’ll realize that our society is fast running out of excuses to not address these issues on a very personal level.
So, 2019, man! #noexcuses.
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