2 Month Vegan-versary: Acknowledging a Milestone

See what I did there? It’s my 2 month Vegan anniversary! If I sound excited, it’s because I am. When I first decided to go vegan, I chose to start with a 30-day vegan challenge but I pretty much knew that I was making a permanent change in my diet. The first thirty days flew by and I had a blast discovering – and creating – new vegan recipes and meals. Now, sixty-ish days later, I feel wonderful physically as well as emotionally.

When I mentioned my two-month mark to my husband, he commented that keeping track of the milestones might make it seem like being vegan is difficult and wondering if that was what I wanted to portray to others. This had crossed my mind as well but I decided that for me, taking note of the milestones does not come from a place of feeling deprived.

Counting the days that I have been vegan is not a way of proving anything to anyone, not even myself. Unlike other situations where one might count the days of things they have cut something out or stopped doing something (Lint, AA, etc), I count the days that I have been experiencing an amazing transformation.

Each day I feel more gratitude, peace and awe. Gratitude because I finally feel like I’m living according to my values. Peace from knowing that I’m making changes so that my actions no longer contribute to violence and cruelty. Awe that I have been going through such a welcome shift in my way of thinking.

And yes, there was a time when I thought I could never be vegan. Looking back, I almost have to shake my head at myself for being so close-minded, especially when I thought of myself as being such an open person. Now I can truly look at myself in the mirror and know that I am open. Open to learning about the things that no one wants to see. Open to choosing not to contribute to the acts of cruelty that I would never commit myself. Open to trying new things and most of all, open to letting go of those things that were no longer serving me.

Maybe there are others out there who feel that going vegan would be too difficult for them for a variety of reasons. To those of you out there who want to make a change, I say “Look! If I can do it, so can you.”

Here’s to many more months of gratitude, peace and awe.