My decision to become vegan has been a few years in the making. I wanted to make this change to live cruelty free, to reduce my carbon footprint, and to help save animals. Growing up, you just do whatever it is your parents are doing for the most part. So, you get into a routine and develop habits. As I got older and was exposed to new things, I began to form new ideas and opinions.
I've tried in the past to become both vegan and vegetarian and these tries would last a couple of months and eventually I would "fall off the wagon." At the beginning of this year, I finally made the decision to fully commit to being vegan. I had some concerns, one being giving into my cravings for meat and two, being able to find vegan and cruelty free products, such as toothpaste, shampoo, cleaning supplies, etc.
Now, I was never a huge meat-eater in general, but as soon as I would try to stop eating meat, I would always have cravings for burgers and steaks. To help stop these cravings, I began watching documentaries about the meat industry and how animals are really treated. Doing this helped a great deal. Now I can't stand the thought of eating meat. To find vegan and cruelty free products, I just did a Google search and tons of websites came up and I was able to find many lists to use when I go shopping. I also needed a support system because no one close to me is vegan or even vegetarian. So, I began to follow accounts dedicated to veganism on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. This has been helpful to me so I can stay focused and stay on track. I wanted to educate myself as much as I could about what it means to be vegan and I continue to read and do research. I have wholeheartedly committed to being vegan. I have no regrets about becoming vegan and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
