My access to transportation has definitely shifted throughout my life. In my younger years, I primarily got around (to school or friend's houses or downtown) by walking through my small town. My family drove to get around the state, because there is no public transportation through Vermont. When I moved to the Midwest and got my own license, driving became even more common, because everything is so spread out. Now, I take the train or bus everywhere when I need to use powered transportation, and I walk, which I love, through the city!

My experiences in eating meals have differed greatly when practicing mindfulness. I have oddly enough felt more full when I eat without technological distractions. I also take the time to appreciate my food and where it is coming from. There have even been some moments when I am eating something quite unhealthy and I will feel more guilty because I am taking the time to think about the poor quality of my food.

Food sovereignty is at the heart of today's agricultural and economical intersection.  It is no secret that food deserts exist and plague great numbers of people.  We stand at a unique agrarian position in today's age.  Everybody should have the right  to a healthy diet that was produced in a sustainable way.  I think that we are recognizing the need to shift to a more environmentally sound diet, but aren't taking into account the many people who don't even have access to a sound diet at all!  How can we inflict our desire for a vegan, organic lifestyle, when the cost of these products so greatly exceeds other food costs--perhaps unhealthy foods costs.  I see both sides.  I see the urgency.  However, I think we must fully take into account all people to be impacted by this desired transition.

Spending more time outdoors in new areas around the city has shown me that there is beautiful nature in cities it just takes some searching to find. Hanging out around Lincoln Park's North Pond I felt detached from the normal aspects of the city. Even though there are skyscrapers in the background, the fall leaves and reflections on the pond were very beautiful and reminded me of a pond from my childhood. Seeing the nature in Chicago makes the city feel much more homey in my experience. 

It feels good to not collect as much paper waste, and I had been meaning to go paperless with bills for a while. To reduce my paper waste even further I have been trying to take notes on both sides of paper in my school notebooks, and take notes electronically when possible. I wish teachers didn't hand out as many papers since they are typically all online anyways. 

The most prominent water concern in our area would most likely be pollution. In our region we are lucky to not have to worry much about water access, security, drought, or flooding like people in other areas do. There are however issues in Chicago with water pollution. Lake Michigan and the Chicago river were long used as dumping grounds for lots of the cities trash and waste and some areas are still recovering. Chicago has done a decent job of managing water pollution but, our water could still be much cleaner.