Nature is perfect in every way, shape, and form. It is difficult for me to understand how some people tend to overlook the beauty around them and refuse to make simple changes to benefit the planet. My grandma has always told me that she wants to live with sustainability in mind so that I can see the beauty that she saw in the world. This has inspired me from a very young age as well as the many opportunities I have had to experience the world's natural value throughout my life. As I mentioned before my grandma was the person who first introduced me to sustainability and many ways that I can live a cleaner life. Together we compost every organic item that we can that we then turn into the soil in the compost bin for the garden. I love this because it is exciting to see the plants that we can yield from our efforts and the waste be renewed into soil capable of sustaining life. As I have traveled around I have also had the opportunity to learn from other cultures and have adopted many of their efforts as well. At my grandmother's house in Mexico, the rainwater is all recycled and waste is decomposed naturally by biological enzymes. In addition to this, 100 percent of her electricity comes from solar power and even the water is heated by the sun for showers and more. I have grown to love this idea of a sustainable life that is completely self-contained and although I do not own a house right now I plan on living similarly and making efforts wherever I can to reduce the effects of climate change. Every summer since I was six years old I have been staying at sleepover camps that are completely offline and emphasize the importance of conserving energy and maintaining beautiful earth. Through this, I have been able to detach myself from the online world every year and connected further with nature. I look forward to working as a counselor at this camp this summer and inspiring others to do the same. I enjoy using bar shampoos to reduce the amount of plastic in bottles and refill my water bottle instead of buying single-use plastic. Whenever possible I love giving these as gifts as well to encourage my friends to live more sustainably. I think that if everyone puts forth just a small amount of effort to reduce waste and carbon emissions even if it means carpooling so one less car is used in the morning it could make a huge difference. I will always be motivated by my love for the outdoors to continue to live my life for the future and will always encourage those around me to do the same.

Always driven to learn more about the world and the people around me.