Being in the center of the country, a lot of the extreme weather the US has been having has dissipated by the time it reaches us. I am constantly concerned that people in our region do not take climate change seriously because the extreme weather events are not local and it does not hit close enough to home for people to feel the urgency to make changes in our daily routines to mitigate climate change.

When I am stuck indoors, I miss being outside. I plant both herb and native grass/flower gardens to have an excuse to be outdoors more often when I am stuck at home. I feel that a culture that spends most of it’s time indoors is at a loss and out of touch with their humanity/sense of place in this environment/their world. 

Connecting with people actually stimulates our neurotransmitters/ hormones, and helps us ease psychological discomfort. I could have reached out more recently to avoid some depressing days I have had lately. 

In my region, as it is for most, the people most affected by water shortages and lack of access to clean water are those of lower economic standing and communities of color. Lack of access to safe drinking water leads to disease, tooth decay, and a myriad of other health issues. 

Some nations/communities have different structures/ways of food production, which works better for their environment. Allowing different locations to do what works for them and their environment is important to the sustainability of food production and efficiency.

I have noticed that composting diverts a lot of food waste out of the landfill. One thing we have a lot of in the compost pile is egg shells, since we are eating breakfast at home now.  Once it breaks down, I will use my compost in my veggie garden. 

Connecting with others during this time has definitely helped my mental state.  Even seeing my co-workers faces through Zoom meetings has uplifted my spirits.  I also enjoy calling my friends and family members and letting my son interact with them over Facetime.  Of course we'd rather be seeing them in person but it's helped us to say centered during this time and keep a somewhat sense of normalcy.  My daycare has also helped to provide videos of the teachers singing and reading books which my son will enjoy a few times throughout the day.

With my new remote work environment I have found it a lot easier to spend time outside during the day.  I will often take breaks outside, take a walk on my lunch and in afternoon I will sit on my desk with my laptop to finish off the day.  It's been really nice having the opportunity to do this as I don't normally get the change to have this much outdoor time when I'm at my regular work environment.