01/11/2024
(A day late posting)
January 10, 2010 is my Veganversary, the day I went vegan 14 years ago! I wanted to share my story on my vegan journey.
Growing up, I've always been the black sheep in the family. I was the little budding environmental hippie who always wanted to hug trees and save the world. Julia "Butterfly" Hill, who famously lived on top of a redwood tree in 1997 to save it from loggers, and Lisa Simpson, were my earliest role models and inspiration. I became very political at a young age, speaking out against deforestation, in favor of gay marriage, gender equality, and civil rights. I was writing into the local newspaper and getting into political arguments with my teachers as early as 10 years old and getting into a lot of trouble because of it. I was bullied, lonely, without many friends, and I didn't quite understand why.
I also had an awful relationship with food. I was too skinny, malnourished, and hated eating. I was forced to drink supplemental weight gaining shakes, which made me want to throw up.
In March 2004, at the age of 14, I stumbled across a Peta slaughterhouse video. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, it turned my whole world upside down. How can we treat animals this way? How could I call myself an animal lover & activist and eat meat? I couldn't. So less than a week later, I cut out all meat at once and went vegetarian overnight.
My parents were worried that cutting out meat would kill me as I was barely surviving with it. But my determination to save animals and prove them wrong led me to research a healthy veg*n diet - I learned how to cook, I incorporated fruits & vegetables into my diet, and most importantly, I learned to EAT and LOVE food.
I gained 10 pounds in one month and I stopped drinking those shakes. I became HEALTHY.
Not eating animals SAVED MY LIFE and in return I vowed to live the rest of my life saving theirs.
I went to college at UC Santa Cruz, one of the most progressive universities in the world. There was a huge vegan scene and I was surrounded by like minded people. I've never felt so seen and recognized before. I turned vegan in 2010. The transition was so easy and I haven't looked back since.
