It started with a latte.

Not some dramatic revelation or life-changing event — just me, standing in line at Starbucks, ordering my usual and watching yet another single-use cup get pumped out like clockwork. I remember thinking, “How many of these have I used over the years? Where do they even end up?”

That day, I finally bought myself a decent reusable cup. It was a small change — ridiculously small, really — but it felt good. Like I was finally starting to take some ownership, however tiny, over the way I moved through the world.

Looking back, that simple decision kicked off a shift in how I thought about sustainability. Because for the longest time, I honestly believed that being “eco-friendly” meant giving things up. That it was all sacrifice and no payoff. I thought I’d have to live some kind of monk-like existence if I wanted to do right by the planet.

Turns out, I was completely wrong.