A Love for Olive Green

Recently, I was doing some online window shopping, and was so intrigued with all the colorful and pretty water bottles. Particularly, there are so many different colors of Stanley tumblers. But when I was shopping for mine, there weren’t many options. I think there was a black one and an army green one, and the green was more popular.

Olive green and has always been my favorite color. My friends used to call me “쑥” (ssook), meaning ‘Korean mugwort,’ because a lot of my clothes and belongings were in that color scheme. Whenever they something dark green, they always assumed it was mine. So, naturally, buying the classic green tumbler made a lot of sense.

Aside from the color, I really like cold drinks and ice. I used to think there wasn’t any point of drinking a beverage unless it was ice cold. Anything hot or warm felt more like soup. Only recently I’ve begun to appreciate hot coffees and espressos. Anyway, Stanley tumblers can keep ice cold for a really long time.

Every morning, I put two whiskey ice balls in my tumbler, add two shots of espresso and some water, and start my day. By lunch, I’ve usually finished my coffee, so I add some water and a green tea bag for another drink. Throughout the day, I keep refilling it with water, and I often still have a little bit of ice left when I get home.

When I first started carrying my tumbler everywhere, I didn’t anticipate the weight. It was heavy enough that my wrists started to hurt. So, I bought a tumbler bag to go with my Stanley. Sometimes, when I don’t want to carry too much stuff, I just put my earphones inside the bag and that’s all I need to get to work.

I don’t even remember when I first started carrying these things. Luckily, my tumbler has been sturdy and hasn’t broken or accumulated too many dents. And even though my bag has started to wear and the color has started to change, it’s still durable.

I feel that I’ve come to appreciate the value of reusable items a bit too late, and I’m really trying my part to use less disposable products. To be honest, it wasn’t easy at first. But now I feel better that I’m being more conscious of the environment and also spending less money.

We should all try to make an effort to use reusable items and reduce consumption. I hope I’ll be using the same water bottle many years from now, and will try to take care of the bag as well. After all, it’s the small, everyday choices that can lead to a more sustainable lifestyle, and ultimately a better future.