On January 1st, I celebrated my five year ‘Veganniversary’. I went vegan after trying it for a month back at the start of 2014, so I have a few tips on how to transition from a fun 31 day trial to a permanent and enjoyable lifestyle. Looking back, I’d like to think that I would have gone vegan with or without Veganuary, but one of the things I am sure of is that it made my transition much easier for the people around me and that, in turn, made it easier for me. But I’m probably getting a little ahead of myself. In order to look at where we’re going, it makes sense to review where we’re currently at. First, let’s see how January was for you…
It was easier than I expected!
I’ve heard this a lot over the years. In fact, it was one of the many revelations I experienced when I first went vegan. After the initial confusion, I was surprised at how quickly I settled into a ‘new normal’ and how much I enjoyed researching, cooking and, more importantly, eating vegan food. If this is you, then I imagine you’re wondering what you now tell the people around you. It probably feels a little too early to come out completely, but is also much more than a monthlong challenge that you can just move on from. If that’s the case, then I recommend saying something along the lines of what I said to my husband: “I think I might keep this up for a while and see where it takes me”. If your month was anything like mine then it’s unlikely it will illicit much surprise from your loved ones.