I grew up in California, where virtually all of my family and friends still live. For the past 7 years I have been studying mathematics and climate science on the East Coast.

For my first few years living on the East Coast I would make two transcontinental flights (one during the winter holidays and one in August), which dominated my carbon footprint. Since beginning graduate school I have been consolidating trips back home and academic travel into a single flight per year. This past year I combined a visit to collaborators at Caltech, a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco with friends, a meeting with a collaborator in San Francisco, and a short stay with my family in San Francisco. I plan to similarly consolidate my travel next year by combining a family visit, attendance at the American Geophysical Union Conference, and a backpacking trip along the California Coast.