A few weeks ago, I went to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. to show my family around the area. I feel like every time I go, I learn something new about our planet, especially now that I'm actively seeking narratives that bolster environmental awareness. I was particularly gripped by the Lights Out exhibit, which is a new, temporary exhibit that immerses us in the possibility of...

My family from the Netherlands visited us for the summer--from strolling around D.C. to playing board games late at night, I've had an exhausting load of fun. One morning, we took my little cousin to the local playground- a never-ending, vibrant jungle gym of imaginative possibilities. Stairs climbed towards the sky, the yellow swings made us fly, and the farm of plastic animals became a great place to ride a horse without...

I just finished my first year at the University of Southern California--over the spring semester, I took climate change, folklore, and food analysis courses, and I never realized how much these disciplines overlap when discussing global warming. From learning about cultural sustainability to understanding the narratives and stories that solidify group belief, I was fascinated with the dynamic relationship between humans and their environment. I was constantly reminded of this...