This last year has been an adventure. I left campus in Evanston, IL to start my career in the big small city. For a Northwestern graduate, Midland, Michigan is an atypical destination --many of my friends ended up in NYC and the others are scattered in places like LA, San Francisco, and Houston. Since I grew up in a small town, unlike many of them, I wasn't expecting culture shock. Little did I know how much five formative years in the city changed me.
When I moved to Midland, I immediately wished I didn't hate biking, because, besides that, the only other forms of transportation are cars and tractors -- Midland isn't much of a walkable city. My new lifestyle includes owning a car and embarrassingly, I do not carpool to work. I've been exposed to people who REALLY dislike being inconvenienced. They would rather use the trash can two feet away than walk the extra ten to the recycling bin; they don't care to turn off the lights; and they love autostart. Okay, I must admit, when Michigan weather hits 10 below, I wish my car was toasty on the ride to work, too.
Despite it all, I really do like it here. I've made some close friends, and I enjoy my work. The engineering and life experienced I've gained has been invaluable. Through my projects, I've seen, firsthand, how business and environmental goals can truly align. Reducing waste = $$.
Here's to putting an end to my blogging hiatus.
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| Dow Gardens, Midland, MI |
