Nashville Vegfest

Hey plant munchers! I hope you all had super fun weekends and are able to relax on this beautiful Sunday morning. My weekend was one of the best yet, for a few reasons, but mostly because I got to attend Nashville Vegfest with my boyfriend and one of my best friends! I’ve been meaning to attend one of these events for a while now, but something always gets in the way. This time, though, I was determined.

When we arrived at Vegfest, we were greeted with hundreds of people wearing “Meat is Murder”, “Not Your Mom, Not Your Milk”, etc. t-shirts. Everyone had an extremely chill and approachable vibe to themselves, and we felt right at home! It is so lovely being able to interact with like-minded people all at once. At the festival, we were surrounded by vegan food vendors, activist groups, farm sanctuaries, and vegan fitness coaches. Stall after stall was jam-packed with really helpful information and delicious food. If there is such a thing as vegan heaven, I think this might be it.

While of course the food was one of my favorite parts, I have to say that above all, this festival gave me so much hope for the future of veganism. The energy and enthusiasm in the room was palpable. People of all ages and diversity interacted peacefully and meaningfully for hours on end. Nobody was overbearing or condescending; the room was saturated in love and positivity.

If any of you got the chance to attend vegfest, leave me a comment letting me know what you thought! If you didn’t, I definitely recommend trying to go in the future.

 

 

You CAN Be Crazy

“I’m not vegan because I feel superior. I’m vegan because I don’t feel superior.”

Hey plant munchers! I hope you’re all doing well. Just a quick post here with something that has been on my mind recently…

This quote has always stuck out to me. Being an “out of the closet vegan”, I’ve faced my fair share of laughter, judgement, harshness, and downright rudeness. Lots of people are quick to assume that I must be crazy, only eat carrots, and am always pushing my vegan agenda into every conversation I have.

When first going vegan, this was overwhelming to say the least. I quickly stopped talking about my lifestyle switch just because it was easier to avoid criticism this way. However, as I got more and more comfortable with the whole concept of veganism and learned more information about it, I once again let people know of this dietary change.

Sure, people still gave me a hard time. What I learned, though, is that people will always give you a hard time about any of your actions. Meaning? You can do whatever the hell you want. You CAN be crazy, you CAN eat a bajillion carrots, you CAN spread this super awesome lifestyle with other people.

Because at the end of the day? You’re acknowledging the fact that animals have a right to their lives and that we cannot take that away from them. You’re living your life without fear. You’re doing your part to make this world a more compassionate one.

Vegan Inspirations

Hey plant munchers! Recently, I was talking with a close friend about my journey to veganism and how I got to where I am today (a certified, full-time vegan). I’ll definitely be posting more of the specifics regarding my personal journey in the future, but for now, here are a few resources to get you started!

Documentaries:

• Cowspiracy
• Forks Over Knives
• Earthlings
• Live and Let Live
• Vegucated

YouTubers:

• Bonnie Rebecca
• Family Fizz
• Ellen Fisher
• NinaAndRanda
• Raw Alignment
• Kalel
• Supreme Banana

Food Blogs:

• Minimalist Baker
• Oh She Glows
• Sprouted Kitchen
• Keepin’ It Kind

Speeches:

• “Best Speech You Will Ever Hear” (Gary Yourofsky)
• “101 Reasons to go Vegan”

Activist Groups:

• CollectivelyFree
• MercyForAnimals