Journal check in

If there is one major lesson I can take from my journal is that it is much easier to track as well as change actual concrete goals than those of bettering oneself. My ecological goal has been very easy for me, I have promised not to use my car unless it is a distance too far for walking/public transport, or if I fill my car. This goal has been incredibly successful for me. I am honestly getting to the point that I am worried that my car is towed (I don't exactly have a spot...). I have been walking to work because I am too cheap to pay for a bus pass, with the exception of the one day I was late (by about 20 minutes) this has been nice. "I have come to enjoy the walk."

What I have found about this action which has been surprising to me is how it has effected my outlook on other aspects of transportation and related topics. For instance I've noticed I am more willing to live in different places, possibly a bit further from certain areas. However other issues I have thought of and considered which apply to creating more sustainable areas are those of safety. "I'm worried for when the winter comes. And for when it gets darker earlier, because then I will no longer feel safe doing the walk, the path is not well lit and one road has no sidewalks. Eyes on the street are important to safety, and therefore to the reality of creating a car-free future. Ithaca is currently not equipped for this type of supervision." Creating sustainable transportation includes more than putting in buses and rail lines, it is making them well lit, safe, and affordable.

I have come to a stagnant point with my ecological goal, I don't really use my car anymore, I was planning on selling it at the end of the semester anyway. This goal seems that it will have little growth from here. I recently realized that "I'm not really willing to give up anything to accomplish my goals, after all the walk to work is 30 min, maybe only 10 min more than it would take me to walk down to my car and drive here." I don't really travel anywhere else, I am worried for how my goal will transfer when I get home and can't get to my friends' suburban homes (even though my house is right off of a train station) or can't travel at night due to safety.

As far as my social goal I have not been doing so well. My goal was twofold I wanted to get at least 10 people to join me in my only eating locally produced food for a week, as well as finding non condescending or over the top ways of talking to people about environmental issues. "I have had problems being either too condescending or being called too much of a hippie," this is pretty much the opposite of what I am trying to accomplish. I have had problems talking to people, and have still not managed to get people to join my goal of the 100 mile food challenge, other than my mother, but I'm not sure she really counts. What I am going to try to work on in the upcoming weeks is working harder on my social goal.