Or rather an attempt at a zero waste vacation. 

My best friends and I are in Florida enjoying the abundance of sunshine, sand and cocktails while channeling our inner basic bitch for Sarah’s bachelorette party – #grinchmanwedding #bridetribe. After a few days at the beach, two of us will embark on a four day road trip back to Vermont which will include an abundance of off key sing-a-longs and junk food. 

Even when on vacation, I work hard to reduce the amount of waste I produce. But I also don’t stress nearly as much as I normally do. Planning in advance makes it easier and packing reusables helps. Plus, most of the reusables are super cute. 

In my carry on I have a metal container for snacks/leftovers, a spork (I can’t believe that made it through TSA!) to avoid plastic utensils, a metal straw, 2 small and 1 larger cloth bags, a reusable tumbler for hot and cold beverages and 2 cloth napkins. When my friends saw how small my bag was, they couldn’t believe I fit all my clothes and all these extras in my bag. Um, I actually packed almost all my summer clothes. Tiny house=tiny wardrobe! 

Less 2 hours into the trip, I’ve already used the tumbler for coffee, the spork and cloth napkin for breakfast and the metal container for leftovers. I avoided a styrofoam to go container by asking for my meal on a paper plate. Unfortunately, the plate was too dirty for recycling and there was no place to compost at the airport. 

But I didn’t want to embarrass my friends by stinking up the plane with a greasy plate! I already embarrass them enough by telling everyone I meet pirate jokes.

Bonus: found glee gum, packaged only in cardboard, at the airport. I don’t normally chew gum but it helps my ear pop on the plane.