Wow. 2 years of veganism. 2 years of being plant-based. Looking back on my past 2 years, I can’t say that they were all vegan. Especially at the start. I can’t say exactly how long I’ve been vegan, but I know that in these past 2 years so many animals were saved.

2 years ago, my roommate at the time, Delaney, showed me a video that forever changed my life. It was a video of a slaughterhouse somewhere in Europe (I believe Sweden) and these cows were being hung from their ankle on a conveyor belt as a man sliced their throats. I can still vividly see that image in my mind and I think it engrained there forever. It is the reason I stopped eating meat. And more videos just like that are the reasons I stopped consuming dairy.

These past 2 years have been rough. They have also been enlightening. But most of all they have been life-changing. I have done happy dances in stores when I found vegan chicken nuggets, vegan cupcakes, vegan macaroni and cheese, and so much more. I have binged on copious amounts of dairy-filled sweets, chocolate milk, and cheese.

I have changed so much as a person. I feel that veganism is truly a part of me and it has helped me morph myself into who I truly am and I sometimes wonder who I would be today had I not discovered veganism. My friends often ask me, “would you still have gone vegan had you not gone to San Diego?” And the truth is, I cannot answer that. I hope the answer is yes, but had I gone to school in Texas or Alabama, I really don’t think I would have.

It is so crazy to me how one decision can impact your entire life. In my last post, I said that I wished I had thought of Athens sooner, however, if I had started my freshman year at OU, odds are, I wouldn’t be vegan today. So, do I sometimes wish life was different and that I bypassed the stress of transferring, yes. Am I undoubtedly grateful that San Diego led me to veganism? Also yes.

Alicia