Appreciation Post!

Hello blog!

I’m writing to you on Monday of my third week at the University of Otago, and I feel absolutely compelled to share my appreciation for this country and this school. They are doing things that are so simple, yet so impactful for the environment and I just wonder why the heck its so hard for everyone else!!

This morning, I went to my first lecture and I was feeling super tired so I decided to get a cup of coffee on my walk home. I went to a small food truck outside of the lecture hall and ordered a latte with oat milk. The girl behind the counter then asked me if I had my own mug or if I wanted to borrow one of theirs. I was obviously a little confused, and I asked, “Do I have to buy one from you?” She replied and said, “No, we can lend you one of our own mugs and you can just return it sometime today or tomorrow.” How freaking lovely is this place? They are willing to give me a free mug for my coffee, with no assurance that I will return it. They are willing to do this because they know how important it is to cut back on single-use paper and plastic products. I’m not sure why this simple act of kindness towards coffee lovers and the planet has impacted me so much, but I can’t stop thinking about how awesome it is.

Anyways, I borrowed one of their mugs and drank the coffee on my walk home; I plan on returning the mug later this afternoon.

Thanks Otago for the opportunity to drink coffee, guilt-free and trash-free!

Thanks for reading :)