How I Fell into Consumerism While Chasing My Dreams

Moving to St Petersburg has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I know people say that all the time, but my family would vacation here every year, and it always ended with the question, “how can I be here forever?”

One early, April morning, I woke up to a phone call from a random number. It was the leasing office calling to tell me I have been approved for my apartment, and have two weeks to pack up my stuff and begin my next chapter. 

I was absolutely ecstatic; this is what I’ve wanted for the longest time. I quickly got everything in order, packed up, and I was off to begin my new life in my dream city. Six days into getting my keys and everything moved into my new home, I was informed that I needed to basically pack up the majority of my things so they could fumigate the house for termites. This is where everything went south..

Frantically, I started moving things into my father’s condo, and started living out of my Hyundai Accent. If I had work that day, I would go down to my car to grab my uniform. If I needed a certain type of wire for a necklace, rest assured, it was in my front seat. It was brutal. I was balancing the evacuation, two brand new jobs with conflicting schedules, and a whole business that I needed to get off the ground in this new city. Everything felt urgent, and needed to get done instantly. 

While in my father’s condo, I had none of my household essentials. I already felt bad crashing there for a month, so I would feel awful if I touched or used anything, let alone moved anything out of place. If I wanted food, it was either leftovers from dinner the night before, or I was off to find my own food. This led to a lot of quick, take out meals, not to mention the ritual morning coffee runs. All of my cups and straws were packed, so it was me and my designated water bottle against the world of consumerism. 

Plastic utensils, straws, containers and cups- every day I would indulge in these single-use items. And the scary part…I didn’t even realize it. It almost gave me peace of mind knowing that I wasn’t having to dig through boxes to find a fork- it was simply given to me, just to throw away and never have to worry about again. 

Once I was finally allowed back into my apartment, I could finally begin unpacking and gathering a list of things that I needed for the house. I needed a laundry basket, soap, a doormat, body wash, ice cube trays- you name it, I probably needed it. Everything on the list was conveniently sourced out from TJ Maxx or Target..not even considering the thrift store I went to the day prior for jewelry supplies. It all happened so naturally, it’s scary to think how easy it was to just fall right back into the habit. 

I didn’t look for sustainable options, I didn’t think about the long term environmental impact of the products, I just bought what I needed. Here I am, in my dream city, so close to the beaches that are so vulnerable to waste, and I am contributing to the crisis with every decision I make. It hit me like a ton of bricks the moment I realized that everything I’ve been purchasing for my house was bought new and will eventually become worn out and end up in a landfill. The guilt and shame I had was indescribable, I knew I had to lock back in. So what do I do?  

Rather than sulking in my guilt, I made the change immediately, and began practicing what I’ve been preaching to everyone else. I started bringing my reusable coffee cup everywhere I go, and only went to local coffee shops that accept personal cups. I’ve also been more aware when it comes to groceries by looking for items that are either in reusable containers, such as glass jars, and shopping for fruits and veggies that are loose, compared to in a plastic or netted bag. 

My shopping habits have also changed, especially with material items. I cannot tell you how many thrift stores I have gone to all over the island, just to find something remotely similar to what I’ve been looking for. Facebook Marketplace has also been my best friend; I found my new bed there when I finally decided to make the leap from sleeping on a pull out couch (a big girl purchase, if you will). 

I made this post just to show you that I am human. I make mistakes, and I fall back into old habits. I am not the perfect blueprint, nor am I looking down on those who slip up and forget their reusable utensils, or purchase a plastic bottle of water. 

I started BusyBeech as a way to inspire people to fall in love and protect the world we were blessed with. The path to sustainability is never linear. We are living in a world where continuous shopping and consumption is normal and encouraged. The truth is, we already have SO MUCH in this world- just look at the thrift stores, or even the thrift bins. We are drowning in “out of season” items, not to mention the copious amounts of trash in our landfills. Miami has been transferring their trash over to Orlando because their landfills are at capacity..

We can do better. All it takes is self awareness and motivation. Try it out for a week. Bring your own coffee cup, keep a to-go container in your car for when you eat out, decorate your emotional support water bottle for motivation. You’ll realize it’s not that bad, and it’s a great excuse to use that cute cup that’s been collecting dust in your cabinets!