A while ago my life took a path that I had not been planning or even considering. I was actually trying to just lose some weight when I met a few people on a weight loss site who were talking about living life as a vegan. After a lot of reading, watching a few documentaries, and countless hours searching the internet for information, I made the decision to take a slow but steady path into going vegan. First, I took a few days to “try out” eating only vegan foods. However, after a week of great food, enlightening (often gut wrenching) information, and the support of my new online friends, I was committed. So much for taking it slow! But for me I can’t un-know what I know and it didn’t take too much education on how food makes it to my table for me to realize I could not go back. Today I read everything I can find, I search out other vegans, I am addicted to cooking and vegan cookbooks, and I try to make a difference or get involved where I can. Which brings me to this blog.
While I do not believe that my particular path is any more extraordinary than any other person’s path, I do believe that all paths can offer some insight and support for others. One of the challenges for some people who chose to adopt a vegan lifestyle is the initial lack of a support group. This was my experience. For me, my best source of support came from the internet. While this is changing now that I’m becoming more involved, reading about the experiences of others and life as a vegan has been tremendously helpful to me. I want to give back some of that support if I can.
Sometimes going vegan can feel like a solitary journey when trying to navigate a world filled with meat eaters. For me, my reason for going vegan is because I could no longer tolerate being party to the suffering inflicted on animals. Trying to talk about the horrific life of these innocent beings with people who do not understand or do not want to understand can be difficult and isolating. Additionally, it can be equally difficult to talk about the amazing joy and sense of meaning that this life offers when others may only see being vegan as restrictive and limiting. I am deeply grateful for the support I received online. My hope for this blog is that the notes on my journey, as well as the comments from those who chose to respond to my posts, can help ease the transition for others and make the journey feel less solitary and more empowering, the way other bloggers, writers, and those who post podcasts have helped me.
So welcome to my adventure in going vegan among a world of meat eaters! I hope we can make a world of difference for the sake of the animals, this planet, and ourselves.
Debbie
