Greta Matos

Two weeks flew by!! I am definitely planning to keep up with my habit of turning off my computer and sticking to the 5 min shower. I'm celebrating with a jar of water from our freshwater spring- I feel incredibly lucky to be able to drink directly from the mountain source. 
I am still planning to visit the city landfill and try to influence positive change in our local recycling center - we can always do more and can always do better!

I did drop off our recycling today but still haven't managed to track down the processing facility location. Moving to Chile after living in san Francisco definitely made me more aware of how critical an efficient and inexpensive waste management system is if you truly want to i fluence change in a community. Through my own frustrations with how poorly the system works here I have been immersing myself in understanding the political, cultural and economic dynamics at play that are blocking real impact. although it is still better than many places- at least we can take our recycling somewhere- there is still a lot needed in terms of basic education and efficiency. I am hoping to visit the landfill this week to continue learning.

Enjoyed a rainy day hike today as well as taking shorter showers and powering down electronics 😊 I'm also thinking about setting a personal commitment to watch the sunrise and the sunset everyday for the next month as the days grow longer and the weather heats up (I'm in the southern hemisphere)

Since beginning this challenge I've noticed a shift in my morning routine. Powering down my computer at night before bed has led me to wake up with less desire to reach for it, pop it open and check emails/social media first thing in the morning. It's actually helping me cultivate a deeper sense of presence when I'm online- something I have been working on recently but am really finding supported by shutting my computer down more often. By shutting it down, I'm required to log into all my accounts each day- this makes the process less "automatic" and more intentional, so I actually am taking a moment to pause before I log in to check in on my purpose for doing so- and then being fully present for what action I'm taking online. I'm not checking my email until I'm ready to sit down and respond to each email wholeheartedly. I'm not logging into social media sites until I decide how I want to show up- what I want to give and receive in my online interactions. It's an unexpected side affect of this simple action of shutting my computer off to save more energy- and I love it. 

Foraged mushrooms on my rainly walk in the forest today (and gathered ggs fresh from our free range chickens!)- zero carbon footprint food 😁

😌

Laundry day here in southern Chile! I do all of my laundry by hand and hang it to dry. I use only biodegradeable soap and cold water washes, so thay we can keep the river that tuns through our property clean and clear! I've been timing my showers since the challenge and also shutting down my computer when not in use, but I thought I would also share about laundry since it is something I already do and really feel it does make a difference. Washing my laundry by hand makes it more of a ritual and with my Wonder Wash it's quicker than machine loads! Plus it's a great arm workout 😁

Enjoyed a quick shower this morning being mindful to keep it under 5 minutes!
Feel happy about the water saved in the process!

I am forever inspired by the endless capacity for creativity that exists within the human spirit. We carry within us the wisdom and knowledge of our ancestors, of our ancient forests, of our glaciers and our fiercest winds; we carry within us stardust. We have the capacity to be a regenerative presence on this planet, and I will forever continue the journey toward that on an individual level, while also holding an innate belief that we can exist in this manner collectively as well. It is possible.