Journal Entry 1

Monday, May 18, 2009
16-Year Old Girl
Today was an all-around amazing day. School in "The Land of Bliss" is actually interesting, and I feel like I learned a lot. One of the best things about living here is how I get to wake up at 8:00 AM for school because it doesn't start until 9:00 AM! Getting more sleep has helped me to have enough energy to get through the day's activities. We had our typical four hour school day today, with a lunch break in between. My friends and I went to a local organic food cafe for a quick lunch before biking back to school. Basically all of the kids ride bikes here because our community is very focused on helping the environment. All of the people are very athletic and fit, too. I received an adorable pink bike for my birthday and I ride it everywhere. At school we learned English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. While these are the standard classes, the teachers make the subjects super interesting and we don't even receive homework! As long as we thoroughly comprehend the lessons, the teachers are happy. After school all of my friends and I went to get some exercise by swimming at the lake. The water was beautiful and the perfect temperature. We even went on a short run and then attended a community social event where you get to know people in your town better. Part of this event also involved preparing to determine the best college and job for you. Every student at our school has a personal adviser to help them narrow down college choices based on what we would like to major in. The advisers even work to guarantee that we end up working jobs that we love. Later, I had the most delicious dinner at my friend Arden's house. Because we live in a money-less economy, we are able to share everything with everyone. Arden's mom is a fantastic cook and she made homemade, whole-grain pasta with a delicious sauce. When I got home, my brother and I planted a couple trees, brought our recycling to the recycling center, and relaxed in the hot tub. My mom finds it very important to have family time, as well, so we all watched a great movie together called "Earth". Overall, today was a very easy-going, fun day and I am really looking forward to the rest of the week!

Journal Entry 2

Saturday, May 23, 2009
25-Year Old Boy
Ah! Today was totally devoted to planning and preparing for the exchange trip which all people of "The Land of Bliss" must go on each year. Basically it means that everyone has to take a vacation to a different country so that we experience other cultures besides our own. I am going to be visiting Tanzania, Africa this year. This has been a lifelong dream of mine since my childhood. Normally I just visit the regular places like the United States, Australia, Ireland, etc. This year I wanted to completely switch it up, though, and experience things like never before. I have an adviser who helps me to plan the trip and everything, so today we basically just wrote out my daily itineraries and made up a packing list. My parents aren't too thrilled that I am going to be all the way in Africa for three months (eek!) but I know that the experience will definitely be worth it. After I woke up this morning, I drove my hybrid Prius to my adviser's house and we talked, ate fruit salads, and basically hung out the whole day. We even went to our daily yoga class together and that helped me to clear my mind and focus entirely on the trip. I am going to put everything into making my travel to Tanzania, Africa the most rewarding time of my life. While most trips are very stressful to prepare for, all of the trips that I have gone on from "The Land of Bliss" are completely laid back. One of the best things about living in this Utopia is that they make traveling easy, convenient, and fun. Let's hope that my trip will be the best one yet!

Journal Entry 3

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
30 Year-Old Woman

My job was made for me! I work as a fashion merchandiser here in "The Land of Bliss." This is not like regular fashion merchandise, though. I promote clothing and cosmetics with friends. These clothes and make-up are all 100% eco-friendly. We offer high-end organic denim, recycled fibers, and much more. Eco-fashion is so important to me, and many don't know how different it is. It ranges from using just a simple fabric like organic cotton to donating proceeds to an earth-friendly charity. There are so many ways to help the environment, while still pursuing what I love! Since I have been a fashion merchandiser for the store "Eco-Chic," we have had many more customers visit our store than in previous years. A lot of the people who come to our shop to buy things don't even understand the extent to which they are making a difference! One reason why I love my job is because it definitely works towards fulfilling our society's goals: promoting happiness and helping the environment. This just goes to show how many different ways you can help save the Earth! Since I've moved here, I've learned so much. I don't think I even knew what eco-friendly fashion was before arriving. Today, my friends Angela, Marielle, and I all went to a special conference to take items from other designers and brands to sell in our store. I especially liked this super cute loyale organic cotton bikini made with low-impact dyes. It had a floral design which was adorable! We took a bamboo underwire bras and ecoist bags, and then other cosmetic products from Nexxus Nourishing Botanicals. It's so fun picking and choosing things to keep you eco-friendly and stylish.