Amelia Wilson: March 2019

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I get asked in one day “why are you moving to Chicago?” This always transpires after I answer the question, “so, what are you doing with your life?” Well, I’m here to answer both of these questions, and to throw some light on any confusion as to why I, a young nineteen year old girl, would choose to move three hours away from the life I know, into one of the biggest cities in the country, with about as much preparation as a teen for the SAT test.

So, what do I plan for my life? Well, I’ve only reached about as far as four years into the future. I want to go to college. So we’ll start there. A little over a year ago, I was a senior in high school, looking at colleges to apply to. By accident, I came across Columbia College Chicago. At the time, moving away seemed like a really good idea. My life was sort of a mess, my relationships with those around me were crumbling, and I honestly had no desire to stay in Indiana.

Life has since changed, and I have to admit, the move will be much harder now since taking my gap year. However, at the time, Chicago looked like a land of opportunity.

I applied to the college, got accepted, and decided that I would attend during the fall of 2018. That is not what happened. I ended up taking a gap year instead, thus deferring myself from the campus for another year.

Check out my post Why I decided to take a Gap Year below!

https://www.amelia-j-wilson.com/2019/01/why-i-decided-to-take-gap-year.html

So, I wasn’t going to College immediately. Instead, I’ve been working (at a consistent retail job as well as on my own personal business). Though I would like to note that despite building a life here in Indy, I am still moving to Chicago!

Why?

First, and possibly most motivating for me, is that Columbia offered a very nice scholarship to attend. This rules out most competition nearby simply because it’s more affordable. And since I’ll be paying for my schooling myself, this is appealing to me.

On the other hand, the school is practically my dream school. It’s a smaller, private college which appeals to my personal preference in classroom setting. It’s smaller, and there are no two-hundred+ student lecture halls. One reason I ruled out attending IUPUI was because of the enormity of the school. I don’t think I would do well in a class setting that large. It’s just not for me.

I ruled out UIndy because of cost. Uindy was my number one choice for awhile simply because of proximity and class size. However, I wasn’t offered any scholarship or financial aid to attend and that turned me away as a potential student.

However, the greatest thing about Columbia is that it specializes in the arts! I’m attending for English with a minor in Marketing. Columbia offers classes, courses, and majors that go more in depth for me than other colleges. Their English department has so much more to offer and as a student, I appreciate that. They also have a really good post-grad employment rate which is inviting to me as there is a ton of competition out there for my major.

Furthermore, the day I toured the school, I fell in love. I was intrigued by the environment and the cozy feel. I loved the city. And I loved the life that existed around the college.

I’ll admit, I have some reservations in moving to Chicago. I have built a life here, and there is a bunch of things that I will miss. However, I know that this will be most prosperous for me and I am equally excited to embark on this new adventure.

So yeah, these are the reasons I’m moving to Chicago. These are the answers to why I am attending Columbia. It’s only a four year plan and I have no clue where life will take me past that point. But I am excited.

Thank you for reading! If you like this, please feel free to check out similar posts: Why I decided to take a gap year, How I found my Peace of Mind, and What I’ve Learned from Living with Roommates.

Also, subscribe to my newsletter to get early updates and access to new content! There will also be some sweet deals when my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, is released!

Checkout my poetry page for a taste of what is to come!

Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored.

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No straws|No plastic bottles|No plastic bags

I’m trying my hardest to transition myself into a more ethical lifestyle. I’ve already discussed how I’m trying to improve the sustainability of my closet in my post Why you should shop ethically: Sustainable Fashion but now I want to talk about ways I have cut plastic out of my life.

I want you to know that I still use tons of plastic and end up with a lot of plastic waste. It’s unfortunate, but it still happens. My goal is to find ways to cut out plastic almost entirely. It’s a hefty goal. Plastic is used in almost everything. But if I can cut down on my plastic usage and inspire others to do the same, maybe there will be a slight difference.

So, here are the ways I’ve cut out plastic from my life:

No plastic straws

So, this one is actually inspired from a friend of mine who has kind of conditioned me into this one. Many restaurants and eateries cater to their customers by offering plastic straws. However, you can opt out of this fairly easily.

My friends and I attend a girls night every three weeks or so, and the friend that inspired this particular habit has reusable straws which she brings to our get-together every time.

This is great because it prevents everyone from attending from participating in plastic waste.

Now, I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of those “save the turtles” adds and T-shirt’s which promote reusable straws as opposed to plastic ones. It’s great and all, but I know many people in the middle of the country (or just not close to the coast) know that no sea turtles are going to be affected if we throw away plastic straws.

Truth is, they’re right. The majority of our trash ends up in landfills (and unfortunately, sometimes in nearby creeks, forests, and lakes). However, that’s just as bad! So reusable straws are beneficial to our immediate environment. But...more so for the nearby ecosystems sake than for the sea turtles...

Reusable straws are actually becoming a fairly popular thing amounted younger generations, so I’ve noticed. People use silicone, aluminum, paper, and metal straws more frequently. I personally favor the aluminum and silicone straws. But to each his own fancy.

I appreciate this because they’re reusable (not paper...which is why it’s my least favorite).

According to Alan’s Factory Outlet, plastic straws can take up to 500 years to degrade! Aluminum on the other hand can be recycled and repurposed into something else, whereas most plastics can only be recycled once or not at all.

So I’ve been working on cutting out plastic straws.

If you’re interested in participating, I highly recommend purchasing some reusable ones.

Another important factor to consider is something that my friends and I actually need to work on.

Saying “no.”

Last Friday, we had another girls night and we used our reusable straws. However, we did not cut out the plastic waste. Why? Because the straws were placed on the table. Once the straws were on the table, they had to be thrown away. It’s the same rule as food going across the counter. We could have easily prevented this had we told the waitress no thank you upon her handing us plastic straws.

No plastic bottles

I cut out plastic bottles back in August, I think. I got a water filter for our sink that does wonders and stopped purchasing water bottles. The water bottle I do have was a gift from someone and is reusable. Downside? It’s hard plastic.

It is reusable, however. I’ve used it for months now; and I’ll likely be able to use it for many more. Though, one day it will end up in a landfill or maybe it’ll be recycled once. And it will take 500+ years to degrade.

I do own another aluminum water bottle which I am proud of. Aluminum or glass reusable bottles are the better option when it comes to reusable bottles.

But let me tell you: since I stopped purchasing plastic water bottles I have saved so much plastic waste. I know I’m just one person. I know that packages of water bottles are still being purchased by others. But for me, cutting down that much waste is a huge success!

I’ve also saved quite a bit of money too. I no longer pay that extra cash towards buying bottled water. The spout mechanism itself was a one time fee and I only have to change out for new filters a few times a year.

I know that water filters aren’t practical for everyone. My family lives in an area where their sink water comes from a well and not the city. Now, as admirable as this is, well water can often have a lot of sulfur and other chemicals in it that are hard to filter out. The water tastes pretty bad and smells just as awful.

I’ve heard of some people purchasing large containers of water and utilizing indoor water fountains in their homes. (I don’t know how best to describe them. I’m talking about those big plastic containers of water that can be exchanged at your door). Those seem to work pretty well and certainly reduce the amount of plastic waste you procure. But it definitely doesn’t erase it.

I’m really conscientious about how much trash I’m producing. Especially plastic waste. Packaging is the biggest culprit. So if I can cut out all of the fancy wrappings as well as these bottles, then that’s a win for me.

(Still working on how to epilate all of the excessive wrapping from my exchangeable filters)

No plastic bags

I started using reusable cloth bags after I moved out of my parents house. I only own two, but I only grocery shop for myself so...I don’t need much. One bag is cloth and the other is made from recycled materials.

I bought one for $0.99 at Target and the other at the zoo.

And I love them both.

I can pack so much more into them! They’re massive. They’re durable. They look cool. And they’re reusable!

I’ve always hated plastic bags. They pile up, can only hold so much, and are annoying as heck.

I will admit, there are times when I have walked out with a plastic bag or two. And I get angry at myself. It’s like dieting. You’ve got to train yourself into making the smart decision a habit. So I’m still working on it.

I’ve looked into smaller cloth produce bags, as well as reusable bags for raw meat (harder to find and I have to be aware of cross contamination). The reason being is simply for organizational purposes. I want to be able to separate my groceries when needed.

As I said before, I’m still working on ways to cut out plastic packaging from my life. I’m finding that reusable bags fix the majority of those problems.

I do struggle with the packaging that comes from raw meat. I’ve actually cut out red meat almost entirely from my diet. Though, fish, chicken, and pork still come in the same amount of excessive plastic and styrofoam packaging. I’ve read up on some places that try to be more sustainable in this area. However, they are often a bit pricier.

A goal of mine for the Ethical posts in this blog is to find cheaper alternatives that provide the same outcome. I want to eliminate plastic. I want to reduce waste. I want what I buy, and what I use to be more sustainable and efficient.

There are a number of ways that I can better myself and reduce the amount of waste I produce. I’ve been doing some research in areas like, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene, groceries, clothing, and non-essential products to see where I can improve.

So, I suppose you should expect more posts from me in regards to ethical and sustainable living.

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I recently took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina with Matt, and I decided to create a vlog for it. If you’re interested in seeing the actual vlog, follow this link to my YouTube channel to check it out!

And of course, since I am a writer at heart, I decided to share my trip experience on here as well! I will list my itinerary, prices and hours of the places we visited, and any comments or reviews about the places we went to.

Itinerary for Charleston, SC:

Tuesday:

1pm: arrive
1:30pm: McLeod plantation (9-4pm) ($15 each) (guided tour)
- relax from drive (we napped, 5-7ish)

7:30pm: visited the battery and rich neighborhood
9pm: Dinner (we opted for store bought fried chicken, and sides)

Wednesday:

**we woke up too late which in turn caused a lot of rescheduling!!**

2:30pm: fort Sumter (open 24hrs) (ferry service @ certain times only) (2.25 hrs) (reservations needed) ($23 each)

7pm: Charleston Crab House ($100)

Thursday:
12pm: Angel Oak Tree
12ish?: kiawah beach *closed*

1pm: Folly beach

5pm: City market
9:30 Supernatural walking tour of Charleston ($25 each) - Tour by Geordie Buxton

Friday:

11am: patriots point ($25 each)
3pm: Ice cream at SnoDASH ($12)

We only spent two full days and two half days in Charleston. Originally, on Wednesday, we were supposed to knock out Fort Sumter AND Patriots Point. However, due to an alarm clock mishap, we woke up a little too late.

We ended up visiting Patriots Point on Friday. Before the rescheduling, we had planned to stop at a National Park on the way back home. So, we didn't get around to doing that. But everything worked out in the end so I’m not mad.

Alright, now that the schedule is all laid out for you, I’m going to jump right in and start explaining everything and putting in some much needed reviews!

Tuesday:

The McLeod Plantation

We opted for a guided tour at the McLeod Plantation as soon as we arrived in Charleston. I’m honestly impressed that we made it on time for the last tour of the day. It was $15 per person for the tour and I have to say, it was certainly worth it. The tour was very informational and professional. After the tour, we were able to walk around and explore the place on our own.

Some notable things about the tour include: the richness of the history behind the plantation, the 200 year old tree with the peculiar bell on it, and the ability to not only get a tour but to roam the plantation by ourselves.

After the McLeod plantation, Matt and I decided to take a nap (as we had just come off a twelve hour drive from Indiana). Once we woke up from our nap, we decided to check out the Battery. For those of you who don’t know, the Battery is a barrier between the harbor and the city intended as a fortified wall where heavy guns and equipment can be placed as a means of protection. As of now, the Battery sort of serves as an ordinary sea wall. However, there are a bunch of monuments and statues honoring its past purpose.

While near the Battery, we decided to take a stroll through the older neighborhood. Houses there were built around the mid-1800’s and are still standing today. A lot of them have been turned over to the city or other organizations that preserve the property. Though some can still be purchased as homes (given you preserve the building according to neighborhood and city rules) and range anywhere from two to nine million dollars!

It was beautiful and I’m glad we took the time to stroll through the neighborhood.

After that, we went to the grocery store to purchase dinner as it was cheaper than going out to eat.

Wednesday:

Wednesday was our rough day. The alarm didn’t go off properly and therefore, we were late to literally everything. Matt and I slept in until noon, so we missed out on a great portion of our day. We bought tickets for Fort Sumter, but got stuck in traffic and missed the ferry from Patriots Point. We were able to get the tickets rescheduled for 2:30pm from Liberty Square.

There was a small civil war museum at the ferry dock to Fort Sumter that Matt and I explored a bit before our ferry ride.

Fort Sumter was really cool. I wish I had an exceptional memory or had as much of an interest in American history as Matt does in order to relay all of the facts about each place we visited but...I’m not talented in that way.

I can tell you, however, that Fort Sumter was a really interesting place. A big concrete building was built in the middle of the fort during the Spanish American war which now houses the museum aspect of the fort. If you go to Charleston, I highly recommend visiting a fort or two, they are enriched with history and are pretty neat to look at. I mean, the bricks date back to the Civil War era. When I touch them, I’m touching something that has seen over 150 years of history.

We finished the Fort Sumter tour around five o’clock. We had intended to try to squeeze Patriot’s Point in before it closed, but decided not to (which was a good idea). Around 7:30pm we salvaged the night by going to the Charleston Crab House for dinner.

We had come to the agreement before our arrival in Charleston that we would only go out to eat once (to save money). I chose the Charleston Crab House.

Oh. My. Gosh. It was amazing! The food was delicious, the staff was friendly, it was right on the water–I honestly can’t describe how much I loved it. It was also my first time eating crab to be honest. I know. I’m way behind on my culinary explorations. But it was just amazing. Five stars from me.

Thursday:

On Thursday, we planned to do the following:

Visit the Angel Oak Tree (a really old tree recommended as an activity by the people from the McLeod plantation)
Visit Kiawah Beach for a few hours
Go to Patriots Point

That is NOT what we did.

We drove to the Angel Oak around noon or a little before. It was nice. The tree reminded me of fantasy movies and stories. It’s branches were all twisted and whimsical. It was really pretty actually. The tree is estimated to be somewhere between 300 and 400 years old.

After that, we headed over to Kiawah beach. And the beach was closed for construction. This was annoying seeing as there was no online indication that it had been closed, and it was a forty-five minute drive to another beach or Patriot’s Point. We ended up sucking it up and heading over to Folly Beach.

Folly Beach was decent and we stayed there relaxing, wading in the ocean, people watching, sandwich eating, and shell collecting. It was nice. We got a beach day and we cut out Patriots Point in order to have more time. I’m glad we did. It was a much needed activity.

After the beach, we went to the City Market that we had heard good things about. However, it was nearing close so most stands were packing up for the night. We originally wanted to visit in the morning but, as you can see from our result itinerary, we are not morning people. The market was pretty touristy and pricey anyway. So we didn’t miss much. It wasn’t really my cup of tea.

We went back to the AirBnb after that where I took a nap and Matt did his homework. We signed up for a ghost tour of Charleston at 9:30pm which was something I was looking forward to.

And as much as I loved the Crab House, that's how much I loved the Supernatural Charleston Walking Tour with Geordie Buxton. He was the perfect guide. He was funny. He knew his stuff. The tour was informational and enjoyable. This is a BIG recommend from me. He also wrote a book title Haunted Charleston that I had picked up earlier that day (I didn’t end up buying it, but it certainly caught my attention).

Overall, Thursday ended up being a good recovery day. So I was pleased.

Friday:

Friday was the day we had to leave Charleston, but we had a bit of time before we had to do so. We left the AirBnb by 10:30am and went straight to Patriots Point. FINALLY!

I don’t know what I expected from Patriots Point. Another boring and common museum? But whatever it was, I certainly did NOT expect an Aircraft Carrier. Yes, THAT is what Patriots Point is!

I was excited. The tours were all self-guided so we had ample time to stop and look at the things we wanted to. Now, this was probably one of the most, if not THE most exciting part of our trip. If you visit Patriots Point, give yourself at least three hours. I say this because the main part of the museum is on an Aircraft Carrier (which is massive) and that doesn’t include the submarine or the destroyer. We spent a solid four to four and a half hours there. It was incredible!

Patriots Point had a lot to offer. I mostly took videos, and if you’re interested you can follow this link to my vlog to see more.

After that, we went to a small ice cream shop called SnoDash before heading back on the road. SnoDash is unique in that the ice cream is served in little rolled up shapes. It was delicious and very cute! A perfect wrap up to our vacation, I think.

All in all, the trip was pretty spectacular. I enjoyed our trip to Charleston. I didn’t know there was so much to do there! And still, we didn’t see all that Charleston had to offer! It’s a fascinating historical city with just the right amount of tourism not to be overwhelming.

I hope this post was inspirational or at least opened a new door for a trip idea. If you have anymore questions feel free to comment below and let me know what you think!

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