Our time in Rome has really allowed us to write more! Or is it that we've finally created a groove of living and traveling that balances better? Either way, it's given me time to focus on two of my passions to create this post; data and sustainability.

Around the fall of 2017, I was introduced to the concept of Zero Waste. I found it while flipping through an ELLE magazine while waiting for my hair appointment. I saw a one-page story on a woman living in NYC and holding up a small jar of waste. That jar represented her whole year (perhaps longer?) of accumulated waste that couldn't be disposed of through recycling or brought back to life in reuse. Check out her story and be inspired at http://trashisfortossers.com/. It resonated with me. Since then we as a family have slowly moved toward a lower waste lifestyle. We are not perfect but we've made strides.

Our travel has been an interesting test. Could we travel in a sustainable fashion? What would that look like? And what constraints would be present at each location? The statistician in me wondered how could I track that in a way that would make sense and that could be quantified?

Well, I am giving it a try. First I brainstormed what it was I would measure. I got this list from our experience at our home in Portland and our travel thus far. I also did some light googling to see if there were other factors I was missing.

The categories are accessibility, prevalence, environment, and society.

Accessibility includes access to; composting, recycling, unpackaged produce, local produce, multi-recyclable disposal, potable water, safe playgrounds, public toilets, refilling stations or drinking fountains, bidets, bottle return, public transportation, alternative transportation, virtual ticket system

Prevalence includes the prevalence of; single-use plastic, reusable mugs, litter

Environment includes; walkability, waste bins kept up, traffic, air quality

Society includes the prevalence of; disparity between neighborhoods, homelessness, drug paraphernalia, begging

As you can see, not all of these indicators are directly tied to sustainable living in the way that I first was imagining. But I do think each of these factors plays into how the city or town cultivates a green living space for its residents.

As an example of how I am tracking, here is my experience with Portland.

It's unfair to draw sweeping conclusions from one person's experience and perspective. What I can say is that these ratings are drawn from my own experience navigating an area for a given amount of time, mainly on foot or public transport.

Are there any other categories that I should include?