Studying abroad at USC was supposed to be about film classes and In-N-Out burgers, but somewhere between my third Metro ride and the vegan tacos I reluctantly tried (and loved), I realized this year was changing how I thought about my impact on the planet.
I’ll admit – I didn’t arrive as some perfect environmentalist. My suitcase was overpacked, and that 11-hour flight? Yeah, I knew the carbon footprint was bad. But living in drought-conscious LA made me pay attention in ways I never had back home. Seeing “Severe Water Shortage” signs everywhere made me actually stick to those 5-minute showers. The recycling bins in my dorm made me pause before tossing a coffee cup.
I got into little habits without much fuss: keeping a foldable tote in my backpack, taking the Expo Line to Santa Monica instead of Ubers, hitting up the campus farmers’ market for strawberries that didn’t come in plastic clamshells. The vegan thing started as a dare from my roommate, but after discovering the crispy tofu banh mi near campus, it stuck more than I expected.
The real shift came when I volunteered with USC’s sustainability office. Sorting through mounds of “recyclables” that people had contaminated with food waste showed me how broken systems are when people aren’t paying attention. We started putting up funny signs by the bins (“Your burrito wrapper isn’t recyclable – trust me, I’ve checked”) that actually made a difference.
What surprised me most was how these small choices added up. By spring semester, I’d convinced my flatmates to try a meatless Monday potluck. My carbon offset donation for my flight home felt like the least I could do after this incredible year. I won’t pretend I’ve got it all figured out – I still took the occasional Lyft when running late to class – but USC taught me sustainability isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being aware, making better choices where you can, and sometimes discovering you actually like tofu scramble.
