Sitting in my sit spot this week, I am tired. With my feet planted firmly in the ground I imagine they turn to roots extending into the ground. 

My first semester at Wellesley, I did not feel as though I was adapting to a new environment. Instead, I spent my first semester letting the stream take my body and float it down the river. It wasn’t until the second semester that I felt like I had any clue what was going on. 

Here, I feel the roots that used to be my feet go deep in the ground. I feel connected with my college; the college grounds are a safe bubble and the porter guarding bestows me with protection from the outside world.

I thought studying abroad would be the only big change in my life right now, but recently some other major parts of my life have changed too. These changes are reminding me to focus on the basics in a way I have not for a while—reminding myself to drink enough water, meal prep, and making sure I get enough sleep. 

And, while I try to make doing these things into more active undertakings instead of simply going through the motions, I have started to break my rhythm. So much of the change that is happening I cannot control, but (for example) where I am buying my food from is something I can. 

And, sharing the pursuit of being more active in doing mundane things like grocery shopping has positively impacted the whole endeavor. Not only do I feel more likely to stick with it if I tell someone else, it turns out other people are interested in this as well! Together with some friends, we found an outdoor market that has stands selling fresh produce multiple times a week.

It is amazing how much more exciting buying groceries can be when one looks to consume more sustainably and does it with friends.