Veganniversary: Year 4!

My dudes, I have been vegan for four years as of yesterday.

This boggles the mind. Where did four years go? What was I doing all that time? And furthermore, wtf happened to the world???

In addition to the chaos the entire universe unleashed in the past four years, my own life has been pretty darn hectic. Here are some highlights:

• I graduated from college!
• I left my 8-year-long living situation.
• I moved in with my auntie and uncle (in Bel Air....jk).
• I got a boyfriend.
• I got new jobs.
• I bought my first TV.
• I finally got diagnoses and treatment.
• I had my tubes tied!
• I cut off all my hair
  
• I learned to cook tofu.
• I learned to cook in general.

...and that's just the stuff off the top of my head. There have been a zillion other moments that helped me grow from where I was four years ago to who I am today.

So how does one celebrate a veganniversary that marks so much growth and change?

With a burger. Duh.

More about the burger another day.

For now, I just want to follow up on my previous posts about veganism by talking about how I feel now.

Long story short, I love being vegan.

I have discovered some epic vegan foods, and it seems like there's a never-ending world of vegan stuff to explore. It's exciting seeing the vegan cheese selection grow at my local grocery stores. It's fun to wander through the snacks at TJ Maxx and find vegan surprises. It thrills me that vegan cheesecake is a thing.

The hard parts -- like not knowing what to eat and not knowing what to say to people -- have gotten less hard. I have tons of things to eat, and I'm even learning to navigate the restaurant scene. As for the people, it turns out the ones who are jerks about it aren't really worth your time anyway. So there's that. Now, the hard parts are avoiding things like honey and silk that get hidden in unusual places. But that's not stressful, it's just annoying.

Mostly, being vegan just feels normal. I don't have to think about it anymore. Before I try a new food, I scan the ingredients. It's a habit. I do it on autopilot; no brain required. When I buy cosmetics, I beeline to the brands I know are vegan-friendly. It makes shopping less overwhelming because I've already narrowed my focus. When I spend time with friends, I bring food. It works out for everybody, because we all get to eat what we like. Being vegan is no biggie nowadays. It's just the way I live. And it happens to have the incredible perk of making animal lives a teeny tiny bit better.

All that being said, I want to hear from you. How have you celebrated your veganniversaries? How have your lives evolved over the past few years?