For those new to our blog or any of our social media, every once in a while I like to check in with people who are newly vegan. How’s it going? What has been easy and what has been difficult?

I decided to go vegan in January of 1996. I had been vegetarian for a week or two but could just not give up my Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. By mid-January I had my last bite and my life as a vegan began.

This was in Norfolk, Virginia; not a bedrock of veganism or anything plant-based. Fortunately for me I had a co-worker that was vegan and there were several vegan potluck groups meeting up. Attending these was where I learned how delicious vegan food was, or could be. Even though I decided to go vegan for the animals, I still wanted to be able to eat delicious food.

These days those newly vegan have literally thousands of resources online in regards to health, fitness, recipes and places to dine out for delish vegan options. On this site we have a page that has some of our favorite websites and blogs that might be helpful to you.

Keep in mind while starting this new way of life that everyone has an opinion around veganism. Take what supports you and your journey and leave the rest. Stay true to yourself. For me it was, and still is, all about doing as least harm as possible.

Something that helped me in early veganism was that I became comfortable in the kitchen. Notice that I didn’t say that I became a good cook! Just comfortable enough to make simple meals. There are vegan cookbooks for everyone out there that can assist you in preparing food at home. There are also recipes for veganizing your favorite dishes from before going vegan.

Go easy on yourself. I am still learning all of the time even with being vegan for 24 years. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions. Build a vegan-friendly community. And most importantly for me, remember the animals.

Thank you for reading. We’re TheGayVegans on Insta, @thegayvegans on Twitter and The Gay Vegans on Facebook.