Madeline Elsen

By walking around your neighborhood, you are able to see all the little details instead of driving past everything in a blur. When I go for walks in my neighborhood I am able to meet new neighbors that I may have never met before or haven't talked to in a while. I am also able to notice house decorations, which I really enjoy especially around the holidays. You can also become more familiar with the types of plants, trees, and animals in your neighborhood. I know I have found snail shells on the road near my house before which really shocked me because I never knew I would find a shell like that in a subdivision. I have also been able to see wildlife that you wouldn't normally get to see in your backyard like a fox, deer, and opossums.

Lately I have been trying to substitute plastic items with reusable items. For example, I use a refillable water bottle instead of plastic water bottles everyday. I keep a metal straw with me incase I go out to eat, that way I do not need a plastic straw. I also have a tote bag that I use when I go shopping instead of putting my items in plastic bags all the time. When I pack my lunches I use reusable containers that can be washed instead of plastic bags that get thrown away after each use.

Instead of sitting at home on my phone, I went with my friend to go get ice cream at Culvers. We sat there for over an hour talking instead of going on our phones or other screens.