Throughout the course of the past weeks, I have come to find a much greater appreciation for nature and the environment. When I was first asked to go on a green journey, I thought of how much fun this would be, and how much I could potentially learn and save. Now I can say that I have done that. I have learned an immense amount about how my lifestyle choices affect those around me, and that the smallest alterations in my personal habits can make a significant difference to others and the environment. I hope to maintain many of the habits I have picked up through this journey, and I look forward to the new awareness I have in living a greener lifestyle.

My greatest surprise from this journey is financial savings. There is a stigma about going green and how expensive it is. And if you buy into all of the modern marketing schemes to go green, indeed it can be significantly more expensive. If, however, you live a life where you truly reduce, reuse, and recycle, and change small habits that are not green, a great amount of money can actually be saved. By gardening organically instead of buying produce at the store, you can save a lot of money on groceries. By only purchasing clothing that is necessary you can save hundreds of dollars a year on trips to the mall. By exercising at home, instead of joining a club, you can save time, money, and carbon emissions.

I have come to find that a true lifestyle of green saves more, not less, of your resources.