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I've made some big strides toward going green at home?now it's time to take those changes along on my next vacation. We've been hoping to go to Ireland?which is a whole different kind of green?but now there's more to consider: the carbon offsets of flying there and a week or two of traveling the countryside, just for starters.
I live in New York, so I travel a lot around the Northeast U.S.: I see friends in Boston and Portland, family in Philadelphia and at the Jersey Shore. And even though I just went on vacation I'm already craving a change of scenery. But when my next block of time off comes around, maybe I can make some simple changes. I've always wanted to go to Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, Montreal, and Atlanta, and all of those cities are much closer than Ireland. And instead of finding the cheapest hotel or closest B&B, maybe there's an eco-friendly spa begging for my next free weekend, or a volunteer trip where I could help undo some of the damage already done.
But until then, I can find plenty of ways to keep greening my life right here. Who knew eight weeks could make such a difference?
If You Are Going to Travel, Do It Green
Make Greener Choices for Your Vacation Journey and Destination
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Ready, Set, Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living
Blythe Copeland is a freelancer writer living on Long Island. Read more about her foray into the green life in her previous columns as she follows the plan set out in the book Ready, Set, Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living.
