Welcome, Friend.

Hi there-- I'm new here. And so are you! Welcome to this blog. I'm not sure what shape it will take. But I appreciate you, whoever you are, being along for the ride. This post will regard Richard Register's book, "EcoCities," specifically chapters three and four. But before I dive into my thoughts on Register's work, I want to offer a little introduction. There's a little blurb about me off to the right side of this blog... but it somehow feels wrong to jump right into analysis without any formal introduction. So, let's get this out of the way.

My name is Samantha. I'm a twenty-something climber, yogi, hiker, student, kayaker, daughter, sister, aunt, girlfriend, friend, and Seinfeld-addict. (The whole series is on Hulu. Thank me later.) I'm taking Green Communities because it fits in nicely (hopefully) with my Environmental and Sustainability Studies major and Urban Ecology minor. I'm also taking it because I'm interested in the role communities play in our lives, and the role we play in communities. I'm also taking it because I've heard glowing recommendations of Professor Goldsmith. (You'd better live up to them...) I think that being part of a successful community involves being candid and vulnerable with those around you-- real connection is one of the most beautiful things, and real connection is fueled by honesty and bravery. So, in an effort to be an active member of this online community, here are five things you should know about me. 

1. My favorite colors are black and grey. I don't like bright colors, and I don't like sunny days. This doesn't mean I'm not happy. 

2. I want to like black coffee, but unless it's loaded up with cream and sugar, I find my face twisting into horrible contortions as I fight the urge to spit it out. I will never be one of those chic, black coffee drinkers who brood in book stores. Although I am good at brooding, and I do love book stores. 

3. I have an odd love for doing laundry. It's one of the most relaxing things to me. No, I won't do your laundry too. 

4. I'm a die-hard fan of 90's chick flicks. Sleepless in Seattle is my favorite. This is the result of being the youngest of four daughters in my family. (I also have a brother, but he's irrelevant to this tidbit). 

5. I think people's hands say a lot about them. My callouses say that I climb. My jagged nail beds say that I bite my nails when I'm nervous. My scaly skin says that I never actually stick with my resolution to put on more lotion. I have gross hands. Get over it. 

Alright, now onto the reading! First off, I must say that I loved the pen drawings peppered throughout Register's piece. I'm genuinely considering framing some if it in my house. As far as the actual writing, I enjoyed that as well. I admire the ability to weave a diverse patchwork of thought while also sticking to a main point. I was especially captivated by the destruction of the city/nature dichotomy. As discussed in the reading, there's a status quo that poses cities and nature at odds with one another-- it's impossible to have a system that integrates both! Cities destroy nature, and nature keeps cities from thriving. At least, this is the case allegedly. But as Register asserts, this doesn't have to be the norm. There's potential for cities and nature to flourish alongside one another-- but this takes careful thought and planning on our part. And maybe part of that careful thought and planning is doing less, and letting nature do more. Maybe that's just a romantic, naive notion. I guess that's why I'm taking this class-- I want to find out how the two systems can be one.