Hello lovelies,

Leaving from class the other day I overheard one girl suggesting to her friend they just take the stairs down because it would be faster and the friend replying in horror saying that six flights of stairs would be unimaginable and crazy. At first I was shocked, but then I thought about how everything in life is just all perspective. If she knew how much energy she could be saving by taking the stairs would she have? How do we change perspectives?

floral sweater - thrifted in London

For one of my classes, I read this interesting article about climate change and the future of taste. Typically in conversation with climate change, people talk about food security and food yield, which is important, but something to also consider is taste!

One of the crops that will really suffer with the altering climate is wheat. We are a completely wheat dependent society though, so when this happens how quickly will we be able to adjust to a different grain. Can we imagine living in a world where the bread, cereals, and everything we eat will no longer taste the same or have the same texture? The writer also brings up the example of how vanilla is an extremely old and delicate vine. But most of the chocolate we eat nowadays is actually flavored with vanilla. In later generations, when vanilla is either too expensive or simply gone, our grandchildren and their children might never know the taste of chocolate how we know it. And these are only two instances out of the many she details.

light blue ribbed socks - Taiwan night market // black platform sneakers - puma x fenty

I had never thought about this aspect of food and climate change and even a week after I have been thinking deeply about it and telling this story to friends. Food and taste is something that is so essential and intimate to cultures, so it is definitely a topic that needs more attention. Perhaps this is also an entry way for people to be more invested in environmental matters because people love food.

cute gudetama tupperware for lunch & my trusty reusable napkin

This brings me back to people that forgo changing their daily routines because they believe that their individual actions do not affect the planet that much. While it is true that one person's habits may not change or better the whole world, each individual still does have a great impact on their surrounding community and the earth.

But the more important point is that it is not about that one person's actions, but about their overall mentality because that is what governs their daily behavior. To me, this translates to having a more caring attitude across the board whether that be for the environment, your surroundings, loved ones, strangers, animals, objects, etc. And while this is hard because everyone has their own priorities, capacities to think, and problems in their own lives, it only takes a few extra seconds to think several steps ahead and question why we are doing something. We live in an individualistic society and even our subject object language promotes emphasis and significance on "I," but I think we all need to be more selfless. We need to ask ourselves what kind of society do we want to live in? Do we want to be selfish and prioritize strictly our own gains or do we want to coexist and foster a society that breeds thoughtfulness and helping others?

cutie eggplant at my school's urban farm

For example, it may take several seconds to think about whether to throw something in the trash or the recycling, but if we were to collectively be recycling properly, we could be saving thousands of tax dollars.

Or if you are thinking of buying from a fast fashion brand, take a minute to weigh your options. Realistically, this clothing will start to fall apart after a couple washes and even though it is cheap you will buy more and throw away and donate more. It is a vicious cycle. However, if you buy from a more high quality brand, you will actually be saving money long term because you will only buy once and it will last you a long time.

plus, I love the scalloped collar

J & U earring - flea market // pearl cartilage earring - etsy // sterling silver bar earring - gift from sister // mini sterling silver hoop - etsy // freshwater pearl baby hoop - catbird

We also have to remember though that there is no one right way to go about being environmentally or socially conscious. In that regard, we should try to be as open-minded and willing to share as possible in order to teach and learn from others. The saying goes two heads are better than one right?

mom's old bottega veneta dress - quite formal on its own but I like to dress it down with sweaters

So back to the question about perspective... I think that people can only change if they desire that for themselves and everyone changes at their own pace. So it will take both physical experiences and conversations, but I think as long as we continue sharing, we are making progress. And although there will always be people who probably do not want to alter their lives or mindsets at all, we will not know until we try.

it's me!

& my fav @elevatorteeth tote

Plus, in our digital age, social media does not have to be a negative force -- we can use it in our favor! All of our social platforms are an effective and direct way to share articles about important news or happenings. Even just passing information along to friends and then friends of friends can be instrumental in helping someone be more aware or interested in these kinds of topics. Education is key!

roasting veggies w/ bubba

Once again, I am leaving one of my favorite quotes here:

"Every single one of us makes an impact on the planet every single day, and we get to choose what sort of impact that is."

-- Jane Goodall

Wishing everyone a wonderful first day of fall and a grooooovy week!