We’ve just returned from back-to-back road trips: one celebrating my husband’s 40th birthday in New Hampshire’s White Mountains; the other a family reunion in southern New Jersey. Were the trips eco-friendly? Let’s find out.
We certainly emitted less carbon by driving instead of flying – and our Scion xB (with adequately inflated tires) averaged a wallet-friendly 34 mpg on the highway. Traveling in the shoulder season, we didn’t require air conditioning or heat in either location. And we constantly toted along our reusable aluminum water bottles. But it was my husband’s family that took the eco-prize.
My Filipino in-laws tend toward green practices naturally, and for them, it’s not part of the current eco-movement, it’s cultural.
They have never owned a dryer – clothes hang on a line year-round. They keep the thermostat low (often mid-winter, I’ve wondered if it was even on) and just pile on the sweaters.
In their backyard garden, they grow the majority of their own vegetables, canning leftovers for winter. And no pesticides here; rather, I’ve seen my father-in-law strike bugs dead with nothing but Zen-like patience and a knife. They are even diehard enough to resort to the significantly eco navy shower. What Sofie could learn if she lived with her paternal grandparents for a while…
However, she seemed happy enough with our own agenda, which was perhaps a little low on green strategies but high on exploration and family togetherness.
In New Hampshire, despite the rain, we got out into nature: easy hiking, apple and pumpkin picking, plus a soak in the complimentary spa hot tub (for the record, hot tubs are typically not eco-friendly, but this one company is making an effort).
Here, I also gave my three-year-old her first turn behind the camera. Below is what she came up with.
Photo by Sofie DeForbes, age 3
In New Jersey, Sofie bonded with her five-year-old cousin Kai and a slew of aunties who spent quality time with her reading books and building log cabins (made of wood, not plastic!).
Overall, the trips were enjoyable, if tiring, and I’d be more than happy to nest in my own eco-aspiring home for the next six months.
