Posted on August 25th, 2022

When I first started my journey to an eco-friendly lifestyle, a lot of things made me nervous. The biggest thing: Asking for no straw and asking to use my reusable. These are the things no one talks about, for people who are shy asking for something like this can be nerve-wracking. It doesn't always work out the way you want it to. I tried making coffee at home, I really did. There is just something about the taste of a $5 coffee that brings me peace and that is not something I want to let go of just yet. One day I did my usual routine, wake up and suddenly I find myself at the local gas station with the dunkin donuts inside. I decide to be different today, I am going to bring in my reusable cup. I am going to put behind me all of the plastic straws, cups and lids that I have wasted after 4 years of an insane coffee addiction. I get up to the counter, take the lid off and ask for them to put it in my reusable, they say yes. To my surprise my coffee was 2 dollars cheaper than normal surprise, They. off, cups, decidedDonutsDunkinfoundup,I woke: peace,;-shy, about, and What a win! I thought to myself. Then I watched, and suddenly, instead of happiness and bliss, I felt annoyed; they used the plastic cup that I would have gotten if I didn't bring my cup to mix and pour the drink. They ALSO threw the cup in the trash. I was a frequent customer at this particular Dunkin, so the next time I asked the manager to please not use the plastic cup to make my drink, he wondered why anyone did that in the first place. He said to me "All they have to do is make it in your cup and then wash the spoon". So every time, up until the pandemic, I always watched to make sure plastic wasn't involved in making my coffee. I realized that sometimes it's easier to speak your mind. Starting to be eco-conscious really helped with my confidence and my communication skills. Though I have hit bumps in the road while trying to ask for things the way that I want, as a consumer, I think that is part of the journey. As they always say, "If you don't ask, you won't receive. "