I consider myself a fairly average seventeen-year-old high school senior–I have two jobs, a car, and I definitely care about where I buy my clothes. Where I differ from other kids my age is here: I have interned at Taste for Life for the past year, and during that time, I have found myself becoming more conscious of healthy eating habits, the environment, and how we are slowly destroying the things around us with the choices we make.

As far as my diet goes, I am not the healthiest kid you'll meet. I have, however, tried to make some improvements. For example, I go out for dinner now and don't get the burger, medium; I opt for the salad with oil and vinegar. During lunch at school, I go for the veggie wrap instead of the slice of greasy, cheese pizza. At home, we buy the organic whole wheat pasta, which I have found to be very delicious. But now and then, when I am hungry and out with friends, I will still buy the small bag of chips or the peanut butter crackers. And I cannot resist the medium French vanilla iced coffee, extra-extra, on a hot afternoon. Many of my friends are the same way–they may snack on unhealthy things, but for meals, go in my direction and eat more health-consciously.

Along with eating healthier, I have tried to incorporate more exercise into my life. Prior to my Taste for Life days, I rode horses two times a week. That was the extent of my exercise. While spending time at Taste for Life and reading the articles, often countless times, I have realized how important exercise really is. That sounds like an immature statement–and it is. From talking to my friends and gathering my own opinions, kids my age definitely think about their weight, but that's where it stops. We don't really consider why we're gaining weight or how to lose it. If my friends believe they’re "too fat," they don't eat anything at all for a couple of days rather than eating more fruits and vegetables and getting more exercise. Recently I joined the local Wellness Center where I'm trying to work out at least three times a week. None of my friends really involve themselves in activities like that.

When I think about it, the kids I hang out with make poor decisions pertaining to their health. I know very few kids in my entire high school that do not smoke cigarettes. Many of my friends would prefer to drive 100 yards down the road to the store than to walk there. They diet poorly, and on 90 degree days, are often inside playing video games or watching MTV because it's "too hot to do anything." From my perspective, my generation is, in a sense, lazy.

When I first began my internship at Taste for Life almost one year ago, I was skeptical. I did not know much about natural and organic things, and I didn't really care. Silly as it sounds, I thought this whole experience was going to be weird and uninteresting, as did my friends. However, as I began to come here every day, I found myself becoming more interested in the workings of this green world. I believe if these ideas were presented to us at a younger age, we would be more open to them, learn to appreciate the ideas, and the world would eventually become a better and healthier place.

That's what I can work towards at least.