I am coming up on my ten-year anniversary of being a vegan, a decision I made when I was in elementary school. This was before the trend of veganism blew up, since most of the people I talked to did not know what that word even meant at the time of my transition.

Now, being vegan is much more popular than it was when I was nine-years old. Between 2014 and 2017, there was a six-hundred percent increase in the amount of people who identified as vegan in the United States. This is due to a variety of reasons: health initiatives, weight loss, environmental concerns. Of course, I recognize that it's not for everyone, but I am nevertheless glad that more people are incorporating a plant-based diet into their lives.

Although there are now many vegans out there, which means more resources for people interested in the concept, I am still constantly bombarded with questions by my peers about my choice. I have no problem answering, but there are quite a few questions that always seem to come up, no matter who you're talking to.

The vegans of the world are not part of some exclusive cult, so I cannot solely answer every question on behalf of the entire community. These are just common ones that we always get, and some of us may be a little tired of answering them over and over again.

Even if you don't believe that a vegan diet is right for you, there are many ways to simply reduce your meat consumption or introduce more plant-based meals into your life (without eating kale three times a day). Explore the options out there and maybe you'll even find something you like. After all, potato chips are vegan, so it can't be that bad.