And so it begins....

I have spent entirely too much time trying to get the "look" of this page exactly as I desire. I finally threw in the towel and just went with a generic background. I had to remind the OCD part of myself that I want people to read the blog not stare at it.

This is a huge work in progress (both the blog and my goal) and I will be adding things along the way. Right now my goal is to get organized so I can jump in with both feet. So what is the goal exactly? Well, I'm appalled at my own personal carbon footprint. I had never given the topic any thought until I started required reading for a study abroad class to Costa Rica. Looking back it was the equivalent to opening a huge can of worms. I became slightly obsessed trying to get more information on the topic. In a nutshell, when I returned I had an entirely different outlook on my own personal life and decided to make changes. So this brings us to the goal.

I intend to make changes to my lifestyle in an effort to make myself as carbon neutral as possible. I know I can't put in solar panels, but I can drive less and walk more. I can recycle. I can use public transport. I can remember to shut off the appliances when not in use. I can certainly use less water when I'm in the shower. All of these things are attainable but not necessarily easy. The blogging process is a way to help keep myself accountable and also for support. Perhaps it will also serve as a good venting session from time to time.

This weekend I intend to sit down and try to come up with a hard number for my carbon footprint. I need to look at a lot of things. I'm not going to go super science geek on this, but I want to try and be as accurate as possible. I also need to come up with a template to track not only my mileage but my mode of transportation as well. None of those sound like any fun, but I need to get them done. When I'm counseling people trying to lose weight or to stop smoking I always stress that they need to make small changes first. Too many changes or too many big changes can be a set up for failure. So with that in mind, my first "change" will be to get my recycling in order. Baby steps.

Finally, I hope this blog is informative and at the very least an entertaining read.

Later gators!