November Travels

TL;DR - Choose to be an excellent steward of your ecosystem, whether its permanent or temporary, your footprint matters.

Welcome to the month of appreciation. November for me is about gearing up for the entire holiday season, not just the likes of christmas. I’ve actually grown into the opinion that November holiday celebrations are closer to my view of what holidays are truly about. Though we have lost our view on what holidays should mean and represent, what is left should have some semblance of moral value. For me, the remnants of our holiday values lie in food. Food that is delicious, shared, and above all: plant based.

I was fortunate enough to do some traveling during this month, seeing how the job front is still concerningly slow and unfruitful. My sister and I booked a trip to Chile and Rio, two countries and regions with vastly different levels of population density and ecosystem diversity. Rio, at least within city limits (largely my area of stay), is filled to the brim with individuals, very much to its detriment. Population density is something that can exacerbate ecosystem health, and I want to caution those that live in population dense areas: Do your part. I say this because I chatted with a local on the Ipanema beach while I was in Rio, and we shared a conversation that will stay with me forever.

As the locals sat down near my area of the beach, it was clear that my personal space was not as important to them as it was to me. Looking past this, I was eventually asked where I was from, and whether or not I could buy them some food. I look like a foreigner, so the request was unsurprising, but what I witnessed after was indeed shocking. I witnessed these locals put cigarettes, styrofoam bowls, utensils, and used napkins directly into the sand around them. I asked them, “Why do people litter on the beach”, their response? “It is because uneducated people from surrounding areas come here”. They clearly did not see the irony of their response. So, when you’re traveling, or whether you’re in your local environment, be considerate of your footprint. Be aware of the hypocrisy that exists when you produce waste, don’t handle it properly, or blame others for the impact you are contributing to. Until next time.