I usually consider myself a heliophile (worshiper of the sun and sunshine) and lover of all things summer, but when fall rolled around this year, I could not have been happier. The weather has been cool with a reasonable amount of rain, which has been great for my plants. This autumn has also been a time to slow down, relax at home and around the city, and get some personal projects done.

A few highlights of this month so far:

Masters in Counseling from Loyola and Johns Hopkins

• I interviewed with Loyola University of Maryland and was accepted a few days later! They even offered me a scholarship for my first two semesters. I’m flattered to be accepted and thrilled that I can officially start my education in counseling.
• I attended an open house with JHU, which seems like a great fit for me, along with Loyola. My application has been submitted; fingers crossed for results.
• Some things I’ve been considering between schools:
  • Loyola emphasized social justice and diversity in their program, but JHU reallyyy emphasized it. You can’t go wrong with either program, but that was an interesting if minimal difference.
  • JHU offers a Masters of Science in Counseling while Loyola offers a Masters of Education. I’m interpreting the difference as the following: an MS is more focused on continuing education (a PhD) and the research and science behind counseling. An MEd is more focused on implementing the practice of counseling in schools and is more geared toward professionals.
• One last thing that’s been on my mind is counseling in prisons and rehabilitation among juveniles who might otherwise go to prison. I need to research what this looks like, but it’s a cause towards which I could really see myself working.

Going Zero-Waste

Also, one day I woke up and decided to go zero-waste, haha. I used to be proud of the fact that our house generated so little trash and recycled so much of our waste. Then one day it hit me: we shouldn’t be generating this much recycling at all. Zero-waste we go! Simplifying and minimizing has gone hand-in-hand with this endeavor.

Learnings from starting to go zero-waste:

• Secondhand first!
  • There are only a few new items of clothing I need this season, one being a pair of black jeans. Trying to buy these secondhand from Poshmark and should be successful.
  • I’ve also been putting more effort into selling items of mine on Poshmark.
  • I’ve been very successful in selling home decor items on Facebook Marketplace. It’s becoming an addiction. I went to my parents’ house this past weekend and helped my mom list almost fifteen items. It’s a relief when an item you love but no longer need gets passed on to someone who will love it too.
• Food to make at home to reduce packaging waste:
  • Pasta sauce
  • Salsa
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Hummus
• I’ve found three local grocery stores where I can bring my own containers and buy food from bulk bins. Groceries are Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Fresh Market. Foods are:
  • Oats
  • Granola
  • Raisins, craisins
  • Nuts
  • Pasta – I haven’t found a place to buy pasta from bulk bins, but I’m dying to. Not sure if this has to do with the way dry noodles keep; every time I try to Google it, the results are links to restaurant supply companies.
• Household DIY: I have quite a bit of chemical products to use up before I make this transition, but I will definitely be making my own:
  • Laundry detergent
  • Lysol wipes (with cloth rags)
  • All-purpose cleaner (vinegar, baking soda, etc.)
  • Hand soap
• Fragrances and their affects have been coming up a lot as I’ve started down this road. It’s a rabbit hole I fully intend to go down, but for now, I’m using up my cosmetics and candles until I run out and can replace them with healthier versions.
• I’m fully committed to making do when it comes to going zero-waste, minimalism, and simplifying.
  • If you save and wash jars from sauce, salsa, and other glass-packaged foods, you can amass a collection of plastic-free storage for buying food in bulk, instead of going out and buying a new box of Ball mason jars. Cheaper and more sustainable.
  • Also, when it comes to de-cluttering and minimizing, you shouldn’t have to buy stuff to organize your stuff. A few cardboard or gift boxes or clean plastic containers as drawer organizers works just fine.
  • To be fair, I do already have a collection of plastic bins that I use for storage in our backroom. Honestly, they look tidy and are waterproof for important items.
• I think the biggest takeaway is that a little goes a long way. If a bunch of people reduced a little bit of waste from their daily lives, it seems (anecdotally) that it would make a huge difference in the condition of the environment.