By: Grace Brosofsky

Throughout the duration of my internship with the Center for Ecological Living and Learning, I have approached sustainability — directly and indirectly — from many angles. I have discovered a myriad of ways to make this idea that has always appealed to me a part of my work. Now, as my internship experience is sadly coming to an end, I find myself faced with determining how sustainability can come into play just as much in my personal life as it did in my “professional” life as an intern.

From the start, I knew sustainability meant something to me, but, in all honesty, there always were still far too many ways I could make my own life more sustainable. But where do I start? Somewhat unfortunately, this question invites musings on where I am most guilty. I can fairly quickly envision the piles of papers on which I have reprinted something I lost the first copy of and know better organization might be the place to start. Of course, better organization might benefit me as much (or more) as it benefits the world around us by conserving paper, and I have to think that is not an uncommon thing. When we try to sustain the world around us, we often equally sustain our own well-being.

Thank you for reading my last reflections, and I hope you take the chance to see how sustainability can benefit not only the world but also your own life. As cheesy as that may sound, it’s incredibly true; sustainability is a word with endlessly broad implications, and it can have impact on a personal scale as much as on a global scale.