When my partner in crime and I moved to Olympia in the autumn of 2007, our plan for living took its cue from our international travel experiences: we would live downtown. Our travel adventures had inspired us to rethink how we live our lives.During the long drive from our native Wisconsin, we asked the following questions: why are we here (on earth); what is our goal here (on earth); how should we live (both on earth and in Olympia); and how can we accomplish these goals? Without knowing all the answers to these questions, we settled on one thing: We were going to live as close to downtown as possible, we were going to do our shopping and entertaining in downtown, and we would do this without using a car. Our research showed that downtown Olympia was pretty lively and the Farmer’s Market was an important node for social and economic exchanges. We wanted to be part of this community. When we arrived in Olympia, we put our plan in motion with a downtown apartment. While Jenni had the typical employment situation, mine was the opposite: a freelancer in three different professional fields. I forged ahead slowly, making friends, meeting business owners and other potential clients. Also, as I’ve done in other communities, I sought to volunteer at a local organization. This effort is two fold: I am able to put some of my talents to work, and freelance work came my way because of my talents. Soon after our arrival, we began a new way of living and I began a new way of earning a living. After four months of effort, my professional routine has taken root. It is based on the walkability of Olympia, the variety of local businesses, and availability of public services. All of this is just 15 minutes from home on foot. My routine also relies heavily on a technological infrastructure: the Internet. I work in a digital format, in the digital age. Post-production of various projects consists of a cup of coffee (or two) at one of the various downtown shops. This is when I type up my notes, invoices, and processing my files (I stroll to the post office with any project that is too big for the Internet). Because I am walking along the streets of Olympia at a human pace, I meet new clients and new opportunities. This type of lifestyle takes planning, not only by individuals like myself, but by business owners, community members, and local officials. It also requires personal tradeoffs that for me are my personal goals. And now my daily carbon footprints are size 8.5, medium. I guess you could call me a green freelancer, learning about and making a living where I live.