Episode 92 - Firecracker Eliza, a Childfree Aspiring Marine Biologist

Raised in Pensacola, Florida, and living throughout the Southeastern U.S., Eliza has grown up living in a conservative and religious society where girls are groomed to want to become mothers. Women who do not want to become a mother are seen as lesser than, and undesirable. Growing up Eliza did want a biological child like every other girl, not really thinking about what motherhood is actually about and just assuming something one would do one day since "you are a girl." It was not until her mid-20s that it dawned on her that she actually did not want children.   Between reading stories from online communities for the childfree, regretful parents and sitting down with herself to figure out what she wanted in life, having kids was not on the list. Slowing down and looking back on her younger years as she planned her future ahead, a child was never really part of her story. The desire was actually never really there. There comes a point in life where you have to stop living for others and live for yourself, regardless of the mindset of the people you grew up with and live around.   After getting out of a long-term relationship, Eliza has finally decided to put herself first and no longer waver to the desires and opinions of others. With a Bachelor's of Science in Agriculture, she has studied the impact of how human consumption and demand affect the environment in detrimental ways. She has done research papers on how the human population affects those demands and how the Agriculture industry is struggling to keep up with said demand due to land use tension between Animal Agriculture and space for humans to live. Eliza wishes to pursue a Master's in Marine Biology to study how Animal Agriculture, from animal waste to pesticides from water runoff affects the behavior of species in the ocean and in turn affects how these species interact with humans. As a Vegan and Environmentalist, Eliza wishes to shed light on how the human populace is an overwhelming parasite to the earth's ecosystem- something she doesn't want to contribute to. She believes not having a child is one of the most impactful ways to do this.   Fuel that Fire!