Change the World Wednesdays, Part Deux

So here is another one from Reduce Footprints that you may find will challenge you!

For one entire week, put yourself on a "No Spending Diet" ... don't buy anything new (except for food, health and safety products). No new clothes ... no new shoes ... no new gizmos or gadgets ... forget about a new car, new furniture or new appliances ... nothing new for one week!

OR ... if you're already in the habit of buying used or repurposing what you have, for all or most of the time, write a paragraph or two about how it works in your life or write about your favorite repurposed item and send it to me (you'll find Reduce Footprint's email address on the left sidebar). In an upcoming post, I'll include everyone's ideas!

If you're wondering why a "No Spending Diet" is good for the earth, check out The Story of Stuff. It's a brilliant video!

I think this is a great idea! At least just stop and think whether or not you actually really do need that new fancy gadget... see if you can find one to borrow, or you can get from the local thrift store...

Back In the US....of A (sung in head to the tune of Back to the USSR)

so yes, back in the States, safely with a relatively uneventful journey.

Will update more about summer plans when I have more reliable internet access.

One thing is for sure... being in an English speaking country once again is strange, and has a reverse culture shock on me. First, I really have come to the automatic assumption that people do not speak the same language I do (which obviously is false...) Second observation is that people share too much of their lives aloud... being able to eavesdrop even when I do not want to can be difficult. At least in Bulgaria, I have mostly no idea about what people are saying most of the time.

Just some thoughts.
Happy summer vacation!

Change the World Wednesdays

Here is a little shout out from your tree-hugging, earth-loving friend/daughter/sister/granddaughter living here in Eastern Europe...

I have stubbled upon a pretty interesting and inspiring blog, which has a link on my blog page, which calls us all to think and perhaps rethink how it is we carry out our day to day activities... 

"Reduce Footprints" (http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com) is asking readers (and fellow bloggers like myself) to take a look at our lives and to try to make small (or big!) steps towards reducing the impact we have on the Earth and her resources.  This blog runs a "special" entry each Wednesday, where the idea is that if all of us make a small change in our lives each week, that we could actually have a larger impact on limiting our carbon footprints. 

This week, the challenge for the "Change the World Wednesdays" is as follows (taken right from the Reduce Footprints blog):

For one full day this week, don't use (or ride in) a car. That's right ... leave the car at home and either walk, ride a bicycle or take public transportation (or even ... stay home). One full day ... 24 hours ... no car.

OR ... if you are already car free, write a post about not using a car. Include such topics as how to make it work, drawbacks and solutions, and why it's better for the environment.

What do you think? Can you do it?

We're changing the world ... one challenge at a time!

 So, family and friends and random readers of my blog, this week (until next Wednesday when I will update you on the new challenge) take one day to not use your car or public transportation at all.  Walk, bike, run, swim, kartwheel even... but leave the gas guzzlers out of your daily routine.  If we all have a day where we do not burn fossil fuels, think about all the CO2 and other nasty gases we would keep from entering the atmosphere.  (And also think about the quality exercise you could potentially get in!)

Instead of driving to the grocery store, see if you can walk or bike to one which is closer... If you don't really need to go out to the store, why not save all of your errands to do in one trip, instead of several?  

Just one day to stay out of a moving vehicle.  That wont be too bad.  If you all participate and have any reaction, then please post a comment here or on the Reduce Footprints blog.  It is an interesting blog, and I would suggest you to check it out. 

I think that is all from this earth-lover.  I need to finish packing to go home tomorrow! Woohoo! 

Peace. 

 

Click for this week's challenge

Also, if any of you blog yourselves, pass this post along to your readers.  The more people who read this "challenge" the larger the impact we will have... just some food for thought :)

May and June -- Rundown in 60 seconds (more or less)

It has been nearly two months since my last blog post.... woah.  Where does the time go? 

The time goes to a weekend wedding in Rome; 

a celebration for St. George, complete with dancing and Bulgarian karaoke; 

graduation weekend and all of the crazy senior antics; 

me working as quickly as possible to get my courses wrapped up; 

our own evening out in Sofia at the one bar that hosts karaoke on

 Wednesdays;

an IB training in Manchester UK so I can be prepared to teach IB biology next year; 

a "last hurrah" trip to Sweden -- Stockholm and the quiet little town of Dalarö -- full of lounging, kayaking and taking in the land of the tall, blonde, tan and beautiful...

 

...and all the while, trying to visit with the friends and people I have met this year who have now become my family.  Some will be here for another year (or two, or three...) but some will be moving on to different countries, different schools, jobs, friends and family.  It has been exciting, sad, fun, tearful but also full of laughs.  I certainly have a few more places in the world to visit, now

 with people to host me, although I will miss them greatly... xoxo and best of luck to you all. 

 

Here are some photos and accompanying captions to try to capture the fun, whirlwind, delightful and bittersweet memories and emotions that came along with this end of the year…  

a night out for fondue and fun at the Swiss Chalet... seriously a swiss chalet that was just stuck in the middle of the commie bloc apartments somewhere in Sofia

... a view of the Stockholm harborside ...

... after Erin purchased an ice cream sandwich at a sidewalk stand, we were stopped by a tv crew, who wanted to ask us what we thought about the recent hike in ice cream prices in Sweden... random! 

... more random -- movie film crew on campus, filming a scene where this girl walks into one of the villas... Erin and I watched them film this scene about 8 times from our living room... 

See the previous post for photos from our trip to Stockholm and Dalarö.... I will continue to update the post with more captions and thoughts over the next few weeks... 

My Fave Pictures of Sweden

.: Stockholm, Sweden :.