No More Car!

We have arrived safely in Boston and are settling into our new home. Our home is actually in Auburndale which is a village in the city of Newton. Newton is a nice quiet community just west of Boston along the Charles River.

Our first major step in becoming green was to sell our car and decide to rely on public transportation and bipedal mode. What better place than the birthplace of American mass transportation, at least according to the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) website.

So far riding the T has not been a problem, except for the evening when the brakes started smoking on one of the cars and they had to evacuate everyone from the train. It was a little disconcerting to see smoke begin to engulf the T station. There was also the time when a train ahead of us was disabled and we had to wait until they were able to fix it. Other than that, it hasn't been a problem. The biggest challenge is just becoming familiar with the different colored lines and deciding whether I am inbound or outbound and not getting on the wrong line.

A byproduct of being carless is the exercise I am going to get from walking around everywhere. Hopefully the pounds will begin shedding off. In just these past two weeks I have already noticed a difference around my waist and in the way I feel.

What is most interesting to me about not having a car is how my mindset has changed. When going grocery shopping I am suddenly concerned about weight loads and distance as if I am a cargo plane. I no longer have the convenience of putting everything in the trunk of the car and driving home.

There have been a couple times in our exploration when getting from point A to point B has been a challenge due to the lack of a vehicle. Overall, however, being without a car has been liberating. It is nice not having to think about gas prices, car insurance, or just having the stress from driving. I know there will be challenges of not having a car, but I am excited about being one less car on the road. Besides, I have learned that driving in Boston is crazy!

Stay tuned for more adventures of learning to be green.

The Green House

This is a picture of what will be my new home. It is known as the Howard House or "the Green House" and is a part of the Walker Center. It is called the Green House because it is an intentional living residence focusing on sustainable living and ecological awareness. For more information you can click on the above links.

Sustainable living and ecological awareness are issues that I have not paid a great deal to. I am aware of the debate regarding climate change and that humans are impacting the environment, but these are things that sit at the periphery of my worldview. Like many people, I go about my daily business with little thought about the ecological impact I am leaving. I recycle some things but I have never consciously paid attention to the amount of waste a create. Last summer I started paying more attention to the amount of energy I use but that was only because my local utility started charging more during peak hours. I am excited about moving into the Green House because it is going to challenge me to be more environmentally aware.

I have created this blog not only as a way for friends and family to follow my journey to seminary, but as a chronicle of my learning to be green.

There and Back Again?

My wife and I are about to embark on a great adventure of a lifetime. In two short weeks we will be moving across the country from Sacramento to Boston so that I can begin graduate school. What lies ahead is unclear. Whether I will return to Sacramento remains to be seen. This is my tale…