I grew up in North Carolina, one of the country's largest hog producers, and where barbecue is a way of life; because of this, my journey to veganism began when I stumbled upon this lifestyle on the internet.

Thinking back on my life, the fact that I'm vegan is something I should've seen coming.

My entire 20 years on this earth has always revolved around animals. When I was five, I kept telling my parents, "I want a puppy," for so long that they eventually brought home the most adorable puppy (whom I named Daisy after Daisy Duck); she became my first best friend and that's when my love for animals intensified.

I've learned so much from loving her and various other pets that I've had. For instance, I learned to understand that all animals are equal; wild animals are just as valuable as household pets. To me, animals are pure and majestic, so why had I been eating them my whole life?

Seeing the inhumane treatment of livestock completely broke my heart; they can't defend themselves and don't even get to experience a proper life. After endless research, I knew that I would never be able to eat meat again.

At this point in my life, I had only been eating chicken; it took me a month to completely cut meat out of my diet.

This transition was fairly easy for me because I'm lactose intolerant, so I wasn't even supposed to be consuming dairy in the first place; my switch to veganism was fairly seamless. I paid my farewells to my favorite foods beforehand but since then, I've found the vegan versions that are ten times better.

Through going vegan, I feel like I have come to truly appreciate the food on my plate. With every bite I take, I know that I am only putting pure energy into my body and I'm no longer contributing to the death of billions of animals every year.

I feel more connected to nature and all the animals that coexist with us on this planet. I still cry when reading articles about elephant poaching and watching those ASPCA commercials. I also lose my cool every time I see an animal out in public, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

A vegan diet is full of naturally vibrant foods and isn't as complicated as people make it out to be- I've included numerous resources that can help kick start your vegan journey!

Cookbooks:

http://ellenfisher.com/ebooks/

https://www.amazon.com/Mayims-Vegan-Table-Great-Ta...

Education:

https://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-N...

https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scient...

Animal Activism:

https://www.mercyforanimals.org/

http://www.farmusa.org/