My path to veganism..

I have been vegan for a week now and and I'm already feeling amazing! It seems hard to believe but I feel better mentally, physically and emotionally. I've done so much research, read so many books and really looked into the issues and have officially decided that this is the way I am choosing to live my life.

I’ve always loved animals, so I was horrified when I became old enough to understand that the Babe I loved from the movie was the very same Babe I was consuming when I ate a ham sandwich or when I ate ham at Christmas dinner. So, I tried to become a vegetarian but it lasted about a month or so. I was young and didn't fully understand the issues eating meat actually cause, I just knew I loved animals and felt extremely disgusted consuming them. Again, in junior high I felt just not right about continuing eating meat. I discovered PETA, and saw horrific pictures but it still wasn't enough to convert me to vegetarianism for life. The influence of my surroundings (family, friends) and questions/statements like, "Where are you going to get your protein?", "You need meat to grow big and strong." etc. steered me away once again.

But my love of animals remained, and once I learned about factory farming and discovered that my hamburgers and chicken nuggets did not come from Old McDonald’s Family Farm, but rather his torture chamber, I couldn’t fathom contributing another dollar to support such horrific practices. I also looked at my cat and thought, "If I wouldn't eat my cat, who I love so much, then why should I be eating any other animal? What makes it okay to eat a baby cow yet be arrested for animal cruelty in situations with other animals?" It all just clicked..

The movie "Meet your Meat" really opened my eyes, as well as the book Skinny Bitch. So, at seventeen, I became a vegetarian for good, finally...After my half a year mark of being a vegetarian, I started to look into veganism. I stopped eating eggs, and stopped drinking milk when I became a vegetarian. The only thing was, I was in love with cheese.. I thought.. "how can I live without cheese?" Macaroni and Cheese, Pizza, I just couldn't give it up. Until, I really sat down and thought about it. I could live without cheese, there were so many alternatives and substitutes and the way the cows were treated in order for me to eat that piece of pizza just weren't worth it to me. I told myself that after being a vegetarian for one year, I was going to try to be a vegan for a month with the PCRM Vegan Kickstart Program. After one week, I am committing for life. I am passionate about the pathway I have chosen and truly now feel like I am living a kind life.

FAQ's post to follow sometime soon!