Travel and Sustainability coexist with one another in such a meaningful and enriching way that people can prepare for their travels with an approach to being environmentally friendly. During my study abroad experience, I took full responsibility for being eco-friendly, sustainable, and meeting the requirements of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
I reflected on what I had done, what I could have done to improve, and how I can further apply these lessons to my everyday life and future travel. By further explaining to other students or peers, I will encourage others to think critically about their impact on travel and ensure they are aware of their resources. By promoting awareness, this will help the impact of reducing waste and overall be as sustainable as possible. The actions that I took to ensure that my presence abroad contributed to ensuring that the environment and communities were aligning with global sustainability include: traveling consciously, choosing low-impact transportation, minimizing waste and avoiding plastics, etc. It is a responsibility to travel responsibly and respect the local customs.
My contributions abroad have further helped me with my academic and personal development. By having the opportunity to live, study, and immerse myself in a country has allowed me to build independence, gain a broader view of life, and develop responsibility. However, at the same time, with international travel and having an impact on the environment can be harmful to the environment, which is why it is important to look into the resources of air travel, resource consumption, and waste. By approaching the study abroad with a different lens on ensuring that I am being eco-friendly and sustainable to the environment, I chose to take direct flights, which would help to reduce emissions, utilize public transport, and/or would take a bike or walk. On my travels, I was deliberate in my choices to reduce these emissions, but was able to maximize the positive social and environmental impact. To ensure that all of this was possible, I would pack thoughtfully, which included using reusable essentials such as a water bottle, containers, and a backpack, which allowed me to reuse the items rather than single-use items.
Furthermore, I would look into the transportation system to utilize the bus and train system frequently rather than relying heavily on a car. Being eco-friendly does not mean that you can no longer travel; it is more so about taking action to follow the rules of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Traveling has been extremely informative in regards to my education and personal growth, which is why it is important to be mindful and thoughtful of recognizing that any journey can have a huge impact on resources.
My time abroad has not only taught me to reduce waste, choose low-impact transport, and align my actions to meet the requirements of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. My goal is to ensure that future international students contribute to a cleaner environment and eco-friendly travel, and are as sustainable as possible.
