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

I was fortunate enough to do some traveling during November of 2024, especially since 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.

Now that I've said my peace, enjoy some images from my sister Caroline and I's trip!

Cloudy Torres Del Paine, our first summit on the W Trek in Chile

The last stop on Mirador Britannica, the middle of the W Trek in Chile

The last day of hiking, with lakes and a glacier in Chile

The Copacabana Beach with lots of sun and lots of people in Rio

An entirely vegan and delicious restaurant called Teva Deli in Rio

A view from Christ the Redeemer on a clear and sunny day in Rio