Happy Halloween! The past two months have been full of a lot of different things and blogging has taken a back seat. There are two articles I’m working on, on-and-off, right now that aren’t yet ready for the world. One is on the topic of ‘sustainable flying’ and the other is built off of my experience participating in Orange Shirt Day, or National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this year.
So what have I been up to?
First and foremost, my husband and I spent 2 weeks travelling around Japan for our honeymoon! It was the trip of a lifetime, from amazing food to beautiful coastal views by bicycle and a healthy dose of nerd-om; learning about the country’s rich history and culture; and meeting so many great people.
The trip often had us thinking about the many ways Japan seems more progressive around sustainability than at home. The extensive, efficient, and highly used (not to mention extremely clean) train and transit systems. The wind turbines (though not all were always active) and solar panels that we saw everywhere. The focus on local cuisine (though maybe our experience was biased). It also had us thinking about the ways in which Japan is not as sustainable. How much single use plastic did we go through in just 2 weeks? Everything in the cities was a shopping experience, an ask to consume. Even more so than I’ve encountered in North America.
And then…what’s better from an environmental perspective? The rate of water consumption from bidets and washlets in Japan? or the rate of toilet paper consumption in Canada?
I’ve also been learning the ropes at my new full-time job. Things are still fresh, but it’s been a rewarding challenge so far to be working in my values with a team and leadership that embodies those values too. This is the most diverse a team I’ve ever work on, and I am enjoying learning more about my own work style. The implicit bias coming from my work history has been interesting to notice and take action on.
For example, I was having some trouble figuring out how to work with one of my new colleagues. After some reflection and forcing myself to be patient and open-minded, I realized what the issue was. When working with managers and leaders, I’m used to working with a certain type of person. While I’ve worked with a plethora of personalities and work styles, this colleague is the furthest from that dominant archetype, and it threw me off. After realizing this, I’ve been able to put my subconscious mind at ease and work with this person and their unfamiliar style and love it!
Thanks for reading!
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