Five years ago we bought our current house.
It was a solid but old house from the 60s, we had to remodule a few things inside because back then the rooms where many and tiny.
Plumbing, elecricity, heating, windows, floors we ripped all out, replacing it with modern solutions. Two years and half of hard work from various people.
The first thing we did as soon as we bought the house was gardening. We were still leaving with our parents, making the plan about how to do the renovation but vegetables were already planted. It feels crazy but yep. I think this is how excitment and passion feels.
I always try to keep the impact of myself in the planet at minimum. Minumum plastic, watering just enough and in the most efficient possible. For example even if I had access near the garden to the the water system we use in house, clean and public water from the city provider I repurposed and old tank and I bought a used pump to get water from a small river near by.
The river and the pump is unsuitable for the purpose. The rider is not deep enough, there is not enough water and the pump is deeply unconfortable. You need to feel it with water, put the hose correctly otherwise it won’t suck enough water and you will need to do the filling process again.
All of this to say that I was spending 30 minutes if my life every two, three weeks trying to fill the tank to end soacked in water.
After two years Ludovica arrived and I got even fewest time to play with a garden but we knew it was important, this is when I realized that I had to accept the compromise of being a bit less green, relying sometime to public water instead of getting to stressed, tired and burned out for a few liters.
I know every liter counts but you should keep track of the big picture. A concious shortcut today that keeps you running is the best you can do to yourself. I try to keep the consumption under control, I don’t waste it I still get water from the river the majority of the time but for the time I can’t I am glad I can relay on pressure from the city water system.
Next year we’ll renovate the main entrace of the house, we will dig outside and as part of that we will install a big tank to collect water from the roof and from there I will have another option I can relay on not only to water the plans (now I have some fruit trees and the terrace is full of plants and flowers as well) but also to wash cars and other things.
The big picture is always the same, keep a low impact and maxime the resources we have but sustainablity is important not only when it comes to the planet but also to yourself, and it is easy to forget. Do your best, love yourself it is a great starting point.
I am sure there is a moral in this story and something that applies to software as well but tonight I will leave the connection to you.