taking the walk

I'm not much of a risk-taker by any means, but I can manage to push myself when it's necessary. After all, the tattoo on my wrist refers to a song about a tightrope walker, with my favorite lyric being, "On the tightrope, your goal is quite clear: Don't lose yourself in your fear."

Leaving anything after almost seven years is tough, no matter the stress, tears and crap you went through. It's still a long relationship by any standard. But it was time to move on.

I'm grateful to have stayed at my previous job for so long, and I'm proud of the green efforts I brought to it. There was always more I wanted to do, but the impact I was able to make still makes me proud. Hundreds of pounds of paper, cardboard, cans and plastic were recycled. So many sheets of paper were conserved by printing double-sided, or by not printing at all. Energy was conserved through setting my computer to sleep at night and by turning off as many lights not in use as possible.

As I settle into somewhere new, I'm getting a broader understanding of recycling in a different environment. There's no recycling bin picked up weekly, but there's a dedicated recycling bin next to the printer that the department handles. I took a plastic storage bin I already owned (and used to move in my desk accessories) and made it my personal desk recycling bin.

 

There's a greater amount of disposable coffee cups, plates and forks than I'd like, so I brought my own silverware and coffee mug for my desk, along with a towel. (I'm hunting for a plate and bowl to keep at my desk!) I've also been extra diligent to bring a Kanteen full of water every day, along with snacks in reusable containers (instead of single-serve snack bags).

I needed a pen cup, but instead of ordering one, I found a spare mason jar in my cabinet and gave it a cheerful blue coat of spray paint!

One thing I love is some of the office lights being on a motion sensor. If you're out of your office or a room for a certain period of time, the light automatically turns off until you walk back in again. Saving energy without having to do any work!

While being overwhelming, it's been inspiring and invigorating to start anew. I'm broadening my experiences, and I've also been getting new ideas for my blog and content. There's so much I want to do and write about, and get further involved in the green scene.

Today is the two-year anniversary of the official Eco Cajun relaunch, and I'm so thankful for everyone who reads my posts, follows me on Twitter, likes me on Facebook and follows me on Instagram. Y'all are so great, and y'all keep me going when I'm not feeling very wordy!

So here's to at least another two years of being Eco, being Cajun and rambling too much!