Sustaining Nicole

Hey! I am so happy you are here ❤

I’m Nicole (you may also call me Nikki or Cole). Between graduate school, sustainability, my health journey, traveling, and wedding planning, I felt I had much to share. I love telling family and friends every new thing I find out through research, books, podcasts, and experiences, which led me to have my own site to hold all this information. I have spent countless hours researching and googling these topics and wanted to have everything in one place. Hence Sustaining Nicole! 

Sustainability has multiple definitions. It can mean: 

  1. capable of being sustained
  2. relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged 
  3. of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods

This word can apply to our own life or the environment. Since I am studying sustainability in graduate school and trying to create sustainable lifestyle habits, it was the perfect fit.  That said, here’s some background to better understand me and my passions. 

Education

I have three undergraduate degrees: a BA in Physics and a BA in Mathematics from Duquesne University and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (hail to Pitt), which I completed in a 3-2 program. After graduation, I worked for a general contractor for three years, where I gained my construction knowledge.

I started graduate school in 2022 after returning from a project for my old job in South Carolina. I got my MS in Civil Engineering this past spring. I would love to use this platform to talk more about graduate school: my experience, how to navigate the struggles, and things I wish I had known before.

Sustainability

I was first introduced to sustainability when I was an undergrad at Pitt. I found it fascinating how we have evolved our habits and lifestyles into ways that are taking us further away from nature and harming not only the planet but also our own health. These thoughts have become a common thread throughout my life, especially in the last few years! 

Health

I was always active as a child. My dad was a teacher with summers off and would never allow us to sit inside. I played sports once I was in middle school, which ultimately led me to compete in track and field at the collegiate level at both Duquesne and Pitt. Going into “the real world” was a hard transition for me. I was used to constant movement, weightlifting, running, and feeling fit. Sitting at a desk or walking around construction sites no longer worked for me. This led to frustration and a never-ending cycle of trying to work out, not losing weight, getting nutritionists, counting macros, ultimately making no progress, stopping everything, and then starting the process over. Last fall, I learned about toxic products and how they can affect our bodies. Since then, I have been on a mission to clean our home, change our products, and create a space where our bodies can detox and be at our best. 

Now, I am working with someone who has taught me the power of whole-food nutrition, how to use food and supplementation to help my body, and ultimately given me my health back. 

There is so much more I would love to say here, but I will keep it here for now. Look out for a lot more information and product recommendations soon! 

Travel

I LOVE to travel. I am not big into sightseeing, but I love experiencing new cultures and being with nature. I’m a Pisces, so it shouldn’t be a shock that I am obsessed with the ocean: the sounds, the feeling of sand on your feet, the ocean spray. Wow, I could go on a tangent about my love for the beach. 

Anyway, for the past two years, I have set my word for the year as “travel,” and it has been a fitting way to describe my life. I think I have traveled more these past two years than I did for the first ten years of my life. I am not complaining, though. I plan on sharing where we stayed, places we ate, and the full itinerary. 

Amore Mio

I live with my husband, Johnny, and our adorable Golden doodle Theo. Johnny and I got married July 2024, and I have so many things I want to write about. From things we bought, vendors we had, and all the between, I have a lot to say. I now get it when people say it was the best day of their life. When will you be surrounded by all your family and friends in one room, happy without any care in the world again? 

Theo is the love of my life, don’t tell Johnny. I will share more about him because how could I not? He’s too cute! He is an accident-prone, disc-loving pup who is always there for us. We truly couldn’t ask for a better dog. We can share the toys he loves, the foods he tried, and the places we have taken him (in and out of Pittsburgh). 

Thank you again for being here and supporting me! I can’t wait to see where this goes.