Cammy

I just got back from my friend’s floating cabins on Bethel Island, California. It was a nice and peaceful experience. Bethel Island is all boats and cows, so there isn’t a lot to do besides fishing. It’s also sort of a home base for people who live on boats; they can pull into the docks and wash their clothes and do other domestic things a boat can’t handle.

Our cabins were at the end of this super long dock, and overnight when it rained we could feel the room moving with the waves. I always say I could never live somewhere that’s so quiet, but I always forget how cool nature is. The stars were so bright and the sunset seemed more colorful. My friend’s uncle took us out on his boat, and the fresh, misty air was hitting my face so fast I almost couldn’t breathe. On the ride home, I decided living in the country or the middle of nowhere isn’t really a bad thing at all. There’s probably a strong sense of community, which I definitely don’t get living in a big city. There’s something very intimate about coexisting with nature, living on the land that provides for you. It’s also sustainable, which is something I’m trying to be more conscious of.

I’ve become more aware of fast fashion, which is pretty much a part of the fashion industry where clothes aren’t made to last, and they just fall apart on you. That’s bad for you, but worse for the environment. There’s so much material wasted that we can’t really do anything with. Not to mention most of these fast fashion companies pay their factory workers really poorly and keep them in unstable working conditions.

I like fashion and I want to be ethical about it, which is why I thrift. It gives all those leftover clothes a new home. I’m trying to pull back from buying things from major companies that have a bad rep for how they get their materials or ideas or how they treat their workers. As a result, I want to make my own prom dress this year. Last year I thrifted my dress, so I guess I can keep the ethical fashion trend going. Learning to sew well enough to make my own clothes has always been a goal of mine, and with these new standards in mind, prom seems like a great opportunity to make something really beautiful that I could enjoy myself in. I’m imagining how it’ll all look, and it makes me so excited. I really hope this works out and I don’t give up. ♦