Today the air vaguely smells of crepes. Perhaps someone is making lunch on this cloudy afternoon. It’s a bit chilly here, but the birds are singing and in the distance, children sing and a seagull squawks. There are birds everywhere here, and they are surely the most audible, if not visible members of this community. They coo, tweet, and screech. In front of me, a pigeon waddles around looking for a snack in the dirt and other birds flutter in the trees. This would certainly be a good semester to pick up birdwatching. In the main garden next to my sit spot, little red and black bugs scurry about the stone ledge where people read. It’s fascinating how much you notice when you have the time and the assignment to take note. It certainly is a great way to foster belonging as you think about all of the living things that you are existing alongside.

At my home, here, I love to open my window to hear the birds in the morning. They contrast the sounds of the cars on the main road shuttling past and that of an occasional siren. Oftentimes, too, I can hear the pitter-patter of cat paws, their soft meows, or the bark of the dog. Each of them is a member of the community. Being a member of the community also means thinking about my impact on it. Am I making sustainable choices?

My flight here had a footprint of 0.847 metric tons. Not to mention over February break I took two flights from Madrid to Lisbon and Lisbon to Marseille. Offsetting this means being conscious of my carbon footprint generally. I walk almost everywhere and when I do travel I try to take the bus or train. I also try to be conscious of not using a ton of electricity. At home, huge windows mean lots of natural light. It makes me think about how I can reduce my carbon footprint once I get back to the States and it’s not as easy to avoid using cars and things like that. Additionally, it makes me think about what I can do here. Maybe I could join a community gardening or tree-planting group. I sincerely look forward to reflecting more on it.