Walking to Work
I know that everyone it bitching about how high gas prices are right now. I fully think that it will get quite a bit worse before the end of the year. People are actually starting to drive less. I know that I am trying to minimize my driving. I will walk to the closest grocery store - which costs a bit more, but its an all organic store - to get food instead of driving a few miles. I think the biggest change in my behavior will result from this new job. It is 1.4 miles away from my house. That's right. It's a freaking mile away from my house. Which of course means that it would be rather silly to drive to work every day - especially now that it's warm. So I'll essentially have a 25 min commute instead of the 35-45 min commute there, and then 25 minutes back instead of the 45-60 min that I was having. So the minimal time savings that I'll have is 30 minutes. That compounded with the fact that there will be fiscal savings in terms of reducing my round trip miles to work from about 40 - to - oh that's right - ZERO. Is just pretty rocking. I figure that if the walking time gets annoying I can always go ride my bike to work; which would reduce my commute time down to about 15 min total. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the winter yet, but I'll figure it out. Maybe we'll hire someone who drives by my house to get to work and can pick me up in the winter. That would be awesome.
Let me just say that the short commute time was not the only reason that I picked this job. (The last job was pretty messed up.) But it is a significant added benefit. I'm gaining in so many ways, shorter commute, lower cost of commute, and of course the added health benefit of walking an hour a day.
It makes me feel so organic and green walking to work. I think the added benefit of not having to deal with traffic will really add to my day as well. Coming into work and being stressed out about traffic and needing 10 minutes to veg out and stop stressing, then another 10-15 minutes when I get home. That will totally be taken out of the equation. Plus there are a lot of cool things to do to and from work too. There's a Starbucks and about three other coffee shops on the way; there are a number of clothing stores, post office, CVS, florist, etc on the way as well. There's even a grocery store on the way home. Maybe I'll pick myself up some flowers today. I deserve them from getting suck a rocking job.
I have gotten a lot better about trying to reduce my carbon footprint whenever possible (we are not talking about reducing flying...) Making sure to not take plastic bags unless I have to. Reducing the number of bags that I buy. Recycling anything and everything than can be recycled. Drying my clothes out on the line instead of in the dryer. Not putting produce in bags unless necessary (think lettuce.) Just trying to reduce my waste in general. I can't think why it would be a bad thing to reduce waste - it can only reduce the cost of trash services by extending the time it takes to fill a landfill, reduces the time for pick up, etc. I think as a society we have a lot further to go yet. Hopefully if everyone of us does a little bit it can help.
America is not only a culture of political leaders, we are also social leaders as well. It's amazing that other countries really look up to us and what we are doing. They get very angry when we don't make, what they would deem, the 'right' choices. We really do have a lot of influence on the rest of the world. Mainly because we own and produce a large amount of the media that is consumed by the rest of the world. If it's not in our media - it's generally not in their media either. If we make it important and show other people how it should be done - they will follow as well. It's quite amazing.
Let me just say that the short commute time was not the only reason that I picked this job. (The last job was pretty messed up.) But it is a significant added benefit. I'm gaining in so many ways, shorter commute, lower cost of commute, and of course the added health benefit of walking an hour a day.
It makes me feel so organic and green walking to work. I think the added benefit of not having to deal with traffic will really add to my day as well. Coming into work and being stressed out about traffic and needing 10 minutes to veg out and stop stressing, then another 10-15 minutes when I get home. That will totally be taken out of the equation. Plus there are a lot of cool things to do to and from work too. There's a Starbucks and about three other coffee shops on the way; there are a number of clothing stores, post office, CVS, florist, etc on the way as well. There's even a grocery store on the way home. Maybe I'll pick myself up some flowers today. I deserve them from getting suck a rocking job.
I have gotten a lot better about trying to reduce my carbon footprint whenever possible (we are not talking about reducing flying...) Making sure to not take plastic bags unless I have to. Reducing the number of bags that I buy. Recycling anything and everything than can be recycled. Drying my clothes out on the line instead of in the dryer. Not putting produce in bags unless necessary (think lettuce.) Just trying to reduce my waste in general. I can't think why it would be a bad thing to reduce waste - it can only reduce the cost of trash services by extending the time it takes to fill a landfill, reduces the time for pick up, etc. I think as a society we have a lot further to go yet. Hopefully if everyone of us does a little bit it can help.
America is not only a culture of political leaders, we are also social leaders as well. It's amazing that other countries really look up to us and what we are doing. They get very angry when we don't make, what they would deem, the 'right' choices. We really do have a lot of influence on the rest of the world. Mainly because we own and produce a large amount of the media that is consumed by the rest of the world. If it's not in our media - it's generally not in their media either. If we make it important and show other people how it should be done - they will follow as well. It's quite amazing.
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