Two Years Vegan

I was only going to give it a try for a week. And early that week, I thought: I’m never going to make it. As inspired as I was to finally make the leap by the book Skinny Bastard, I really did think that giving up dairy and eggs would be just a temporary thing I could say I tried. Although giving up meat was a very easy thing to do, I knew full well that dairy was going to be hard to give up. At some point during that week, I thought for sure that I was going through some kind of withdrawal. But by the end of that week, I was feeling better than I ever had in some time.

Did I ever think I’d make it to two years? Not really. But here I am. Two years of no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no honey. And with the addition of giving up alcohol seven months ago, I can say in all honesty that  have never felt this good in my entire life. Going vegan has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.  

It has not been easy. I have made a fair share of mistakes. Eating out has been a constant challenge. But many servers around town know me and my eclectic tastes. One of my lessons over these past years has been: “treat your server well and they will treat you well.”  

I have also learned over these past years that I truly believe a vegan diet may not be best for everyone. I can’t help but wonder if some people are just more naturally suited for this lifestyle than others. All I can say is that, for me, after that initial transitionary week, my life sort of blossomed as I’ve done this. And it has gotten easier as time went on.