If you’re reading this, you probably know the looks you get when you tell someone you are vegan. (And if you don’t, then you are probably someone who gives those looks… no judgement. I swear, I get it.) You know the questions – “WHERE do you get your protein? Your iron? Your fats?” “OMG you must be hungry all the time.” “How do you eat out?!” “Don’t you miss meat?” “What about fish?” “You eat eggs though… right?” “Wait – NO dairy? At all?” “Wait, so like, you can’t eat ice cream?” “What about chocolate” (Dark chocolate, my friends. Allll of the freaking time.) And, my personal favorite, “WHY?” Part of the reason I wanted to make this blog was so that I could address these questions, and explain to everyone – vegans, vegetarians and even the most carnivorous people out there – why I like to eat this way and why it makes me feel great. I have no intention of pushing it on anyone – if you know me, you are pretty much aware that I can count my vegan friends on one hand… or on one finger… (unless you count me forcing my parents to eat vegan a couple times a week, or me dragging my lovely and supportive non-vegan friends to Cafe Gratitude and Rawvolution as much as I can). I just want to write about the life of a vegan in a non-vegan world, even though I am lucky to have lived in big cities like L.A. and now New York where vegan food and restaurants are very accessible. I love eating out – the social aspect of it, the atmosphere of restaurants, exploring new places, the beautiful food creations, I love it all! – so I want to give advice on how to eat out as a vegan at a regular old restaurant. I also want to give reviews of the awesome vegan restaurants in L.A. and NYC and detail my experiences there.
And if all that wasn’t enough reason to start a vegan blog, I absolutely love cooking/baking/creating yummy foods in my kitchen and it makes it a heck of a lot more fun to be able to share those pictures and recipes with people who care. I have always been a creative minded person, so decorating my plates and making my food look pretty has become a huge passion of mine in the past year or so. Oh, I should mention, I had basically never set foot in a kitchen until I became vegan on January 1st, 2013. Ask my roommates, or better yet my parents, and they will tell you: I legitimately did not know how to turn on an oven. (Hence my propensity toward eating out.) The thought of cooking, or even eating a full fledged meal at home, give me veritable anxiety. Now I can confidently say I would be happy (and more importantly, comfortable) to eat every meal at home for weeks on end. Imagine the difference this has made in my life… and on my bank account! (Although I can wrack up some BANK at Whole Foods. I have an addiction. It’s a problem.) And guess what? My life flip flopped. These days I get more anxiety eating out than staying in and preparing a home cooked meal, which is why I’m that girl at airport security with a 20 pound bag of vegan food who is getting her coconut yogurts and buckwheat granolas taken away. But that’s what this blog is all about – becoming comfortable being a living, breathing vegan in normal American society. And helping others find that level of comfort as well.
I’m not asking you to agree with everything I say, and I’m certainly not asking you to go vegan if you don’t have an interest in doing so, but I’m asking you to read this blog to gain a little insight into the life of a typical vegan gal. I am getting my MFA in Creative Writing, so I am a pretty decent writer too, I promise – I’m not going to be one of those bloggers that’s like, “OK so like today I went to the mall and then I got my nails done and then my friends and I had a pool party.” I want to write real stuff that inspires people and makes people think. And if I can ignite even the smallest spark inside of you to do something you’re passionate about, or if I can just make you smile or laugh, then this will all be worthwhile. Y’ALL READY? Because I am. This is going to be fun. Stay tuned for recipes and a whole lotta blog updates… I have been waiting to start a blog I have been passionate about for a LONG time. And if you’ve read this far, then I already love you.