Journey to Veganville

For many years, welcoming fall to New Hampshire included attending the Deerfield Fair.  Late September didn't feel quite the same without spending the Friday or Saturday night of the fair weekend passing by food stand after food stand and of course visiting the farm animals in all the barns.  For days before the fair, my friends and I would crave the warm, hearty soups in bread bowls, grilled sausages, crispy fried dough, and my favorite, apple crisp surrounded by a melting pool of rich vanilla ice cream.  To rest our stomachs in between courses, my friends and I would walk through the animal barns and see the rows of pigs and cows in their pens, and cage upon cage of hens, roosters, and ducks.  While the smells permeating through the stalls were never pleasant, I loved seeing the huge mother pigs surrounded by their sleeping and nursing babies, as well as the dairy cows with their big brown eyes.  Before entering each barn, I'd feel a little twinge in my gut, reading the signs that told us which animals each one housed: Pork, Beef, Poultry.  While it felt unseemly to refer to the sows and their babies by the meat they offered, the twinge wouldn't last too long, as I was just as ready as my friends to try a buffalo burger or some spaghetti with meat sauce at the next food stand stop.       

For this and so many other reasons, I'm honestly sometimes still surprised that I can call myself a vegan.  Never mind the lack of resemblance to the stereotype of a woman with dreads, wearing flowing peasant skirts, constantly reeking of patchouli; until recently, I could barely call myself environmentally conscious, period.  Organic produce?  Too expensive.  Farmers' markets?  I'll do my one-stop shopping at the grocery store, thanks.  GMO?  Uh, what's that?  As for ethics around animal welfare, sure, I've always loved animals and have cared about their well-being, but, like at the fair, I didn't allow myself to really think about where that chicken in my chicken noodle soup bread bowl came from.  Who wants to think about that?  I did what so many of us do and just pushed aside the uneasy thoughts and questions.  As for adding eggs, dairy products, and animal byproducts to the forbidden list?  While I respected the choice, I didn't understand the reasoning behind it.  How could milking a cow be a bad thing?  And cheese just makes everything better...How could I choose to give up its melty goodness completely?  And, more importantly, why on earth would I want to?  I didn't really get the foundation and reasoning behind vegan philosophy.  I suppose that was because I never tried.        

Then the twinge in my gut and conscience started to become more than just a twinge, and I made the choice to become educated.  I picked up Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals.  I watched the documentary Food, Inc.  I suddenly had a slew of information about all the reasons why eating meat did not match my personal values and ethics, and my eating habits naturally transitioned into informed, conscious decisions.  I became a vegetarian in October 2010.  After gaining a little education, I wanted more.  I read Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet and numerous blogs and online articles.  Books piled high on my nightstand.  The only other time that I remember being so engrossed in an issue is when I began identifying as a feminist in my early 20s, eager to proudly wear my "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" t-shirt, no matter the strange looks or eye rolls I received, from both strangers and even friends.  It was as though this switch went on.  I wanted to know more and more, and really couldn't believe all that I hadn't known or recognized.  In March, I went vegan and have been committed to this new lifestyle ever since. 

With these changes in diet and ethics, this past year has been quite the journey.  I now cook vegan dinners for my husband and me most nights each week, introducing our palates and stomachs to formerly unknown ingredients like nutritional yeast, tempeh, and vital wheat gluten.  I've also been on a baking spree, trying new recipes for mini chocolate chip blondies, blueberry muffins, and chocolate zucchini bread, all without the addition of, or need for, eggs or dairy milk.  Instead of dreading being in the kitchen at the end of the work day, for the first time in my life, I actually often look forward to finding and creating a meal that will be tasty, filling, and nutritious.  I have never cooked so much in my life. 

Becoming vegan has not only affected my diet, however.  It has truly been a change in lifestyle.  The ingredients I use to cook and bake are not only obviously meat and animal free, but also mostly organic, which has been complemented by an awareness and effort to find fresh, local foods.  I have started switching many of my personal care and household products to cruelty-free, animal byproduct free versions.  This is still a work in progress.  I have thought more fully about my power as a consumer; do I really want to buy three shirts at Express or maybe save a bit more and buy from an eco-friendly brand or company?  Last, but certainly not least, I have recommitted to physical health and well-being by dedicating myself to complete the Couch to 5K running program.  This has been quite the challenge for someone who has never been a consistent or motivated runner.  But today I began week 7 of the 9 week program, and I am pledging to complete it and progress beyond it.  While my mantra is currently slow and steady, maybe one day I'll even beat my husband at a sprinting competition.  (I can hope!)

With all these changes, and the excitement that has accompanied them, I've had the urge to share my experiences with others.  From a tip on how to make tempeh actually taste, well, good, to passing along a super yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe, or finding support around breaking through the mental battles while running, I'm starting this blog to document my transition to a vegan runner's lifestyle, both the triumphs and challenges.  I will love any comments and input you have to offer, so please post your thoughts, questions, and suggestions!