My life has always been full of not-so-subtle signs, and I am a person who wholeheartedly believes in acting on them. Some may call these happenings a part of day-to-day life, but I take these events as a sort of heads-up.
When my boyfriend of more than two years moved out of our apartment without any notice, it probably was time to break up. When I was in a car accident while leaving a country concert, I started to wonder if I should find a new favorite music genre. And when my car was bombarded with peaches flying off a delivery truck while merging onto the highway, it might have been a sign from the heavens to go vegetarian.
Becoming a vegetarian is something I’ve considered time and time again. I disapprove of slaughterhouse practices, I detest animal cruelty and frankly, I don’t like meat that much. It seems vegetarianism is an obvious choice, but out of convenience and habit I’ve stayed a carnivore until now.
As a college student living a modest lifestyle, I find the idea of vegetarianism quite threatening. Will I have to shop at pricey specialty food stores now? How much of my income will now go toward fresh produce? What happens when I go out to eat with friends? Will I be stuck eating lettuce for the rest of my life?!
These are all questions that came to mind when I made the decision to go veg, and I’m sure others have had the same concerns. This year I will become a vegetarian and take everyone through the ups and downs of my new lifestyle.
I might have slip-ups (I’ve never been one for getting things right on the first try), I’ll probably spend some evenings debating if I should cook my roommates frozen chicken nuggets, and I’ll undoubtedly pout a bit when all my pals are ordering chili cheese fries at the Double Eagle.
But I view becoming a vegetarian as a wonderful new adventure I’m about to start. I’ve spent the last year and a half on a great escapade in Colorado, and it might be that as I’m returning to Michigan I will need another adventure to keep me on my toes.
Today I had my “last supper”— eating lots of chicken (my favorite meat) and devouring a gigantic burrito at my favorite Mexican restaurant in Denver. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to make a big deal out of your last meal as a carnivore, but I’m not one for subtleties and today left me feeling all “meated” out.
Tomorrow I go veg. I suppose the day will start like any other; I’ll drink mass amounts of coffee and maybe grab a granola bar, but after that who really knows what’s in-store? The way I’m feeling about becoming vegetarian is something similar to what a person must feel the night before his or her wedding: I’m nervous of all the things I’ll have to give up or change that never crossed my mind, but I’m also excited. Not only is becoming a vegetarian an adventure of sorts, but also this is a challenge I’m ready to conquer!
