Fair February

Hi, nice to meet you!

I’m Anna, and I’m here because climate anxiety (almost) broke me.

Once upon a time, when the grass was green and the sky was blue (ha, it was probably raining—I live in the Netherlands), I was a Master’s student, glued to my laptop in the library, trying to make sense of data, life, and whether pursuing a PhD was my destiny. Spoiler: it wasn’t (or, I should say, it has not become the case so far).

Instead, I started a travel blog called Abroad and Beyond as a creative escape from thesis-induced existential dread. That blog followed me through years of travel, curiosity, and the occasional questionable hostel. But life has a way of pivoting. I swapped academia for the corporate world, landing in financial services, where my work slowly drifted toward sustainability-related research. It turns out, understanding how the world’s systems impact the planet was just as fascinating as exploring the world itself—though significantly less Instagrammable.

In early 2024, after a particularly sobering holiday and months of grappling with the feeling that my work’s impact was too abstract, I decided to focus on what was within my control: my own habits (feel free to read more on this here). Thus, Fair February was born—a month-long project to challenge myself to live more sustainably, question my consumption patterns, and figure out if small changes could actually feel meaningful. So, I created a list of 31 challenges (yes, I know February has fewer days, but fairness is subjective) designed to push me beyond eco-friendly basics and into “sustainability on steroids.” Some tasks were simple—like swapping out single-use items or reducing food waste. Others required more thought: joining activist groups, volunteering, or confronting the sneaky ways convenience fuels mindless consumption.

Here, I write about everything from low-effort eco-habits to the mental gymnastics of trying to be “good” in a world that feels like it’s constantly on fire and making peace with the fact that change is messy. It’s part sustainability diary, part coping mechanism, and part open invitation to anyone who’s ever wondered, “Does this even make a difference?” (Short answer: maybe. But let’s find out together.)