#dailyentries

Dear Diary today I found myself thinking about not why the people around me are so misrable but why I am concerned about why they are so miserable. I also find myself telling my son to mind his business when I need to take my own advice. I allow myself to be affected by the people around me so greatly that I let it change my mood. I care about me and my self growth so I’m committing to a journal…

I haven’t done a daily entry in a long time. but I want to start them back up again. Hopefully I can remember to write one every day.. maybe every other. 

Anyway, it’s Christmas Eve and I’m so excited right now. I love Christmas so much. Like so so much. I’m Christmas as fuck. 

I got to open a present early and my parents got me a record player. I was so stoked to open that because I wanted a record player so bad. It was number one on my list so I’m really excited about that. 

I love Christmas because huge family gatherings are so fun with my family. My family is full of swearing, tatted, loud, hilarious motorcycle loving dorks. I love them and our family gatherings are always a load of fun. Plus food and presents.. 

I think I’m a really good gift giver. I’m thoughtful when it comes to presents because I remember the little things. I don’t know, I try to be good at giving gifts that people will love. 

21 days of veganism complete! I’ve noticed that I’ve grown much more adjusted to eating vegan than in the past weeks. What I mean by this is that when selecting food, I don’t really have to think twice about which foods I can and can’t eat. At the beginning of this project, I had to think more consciously about the food choices I made. I still have the same struggle as last week with figuring out how to have a wider range of meals and keeping it interesting. I do miss having limitless options that I can choose from with a non-vegan diet, and I often observe that the vast majority of food options outside my own kitchen don’t consider veganism at all. 

Last week, I explained how this challenge has made me more of a risk-taker. This week, I would choose Inquirer as my IB attribute that has become more prevalent. I focused less on documenting my meals and more on research and recipes which helped me become even more informed on my projects topic. This has also told me more about Identities & Relationships (my Global Context) because I understand now more than ever what its really like to be vegan and what that lifestyle entails. I recommend for anyone considering becoming vegan permanently to try my challenge, or even just a two week challenge as it really immerses you and gives you an idea of how realistic of a diet it actually is. I personally believe it varies from person to person. 

I am 14 days into my Vegan Adventure and feel great! I find that I have lots of energy and feel much less sluggish after meals, however, I am beginning to struggle with how to "spice things up" in terms of recipes as I find foods are beginning to be more repetitive as time goes on. The phrase "A grain, a bean, and a green" has been the foundation of all my meals and has helped me manage my nutritional intake, however I find that finding variety with this foundation has been increasingly difficult. Having never lived with dietary limitations before, it has definitely been a change in my life as I now pay much closer attention to the ingredients in my food to make sure I am eating within the vegan guidelines. 

This challenge has truly made me a risk-taker within the culinary world, an IB attribute which I don't often exercise as much as I'd like. For example: foods like beans, chickpeas, and hummus I never used to be fond of, but nowadays they are a staple in my diet that help fit in the necessary amounts of protein I need in my daily meals. I've found that this project has definitely given me a more in-depth idea of what a vegan lifestyle entails, more than any amount of research ever could. My Global Context, Identities & Relationships, has definitely been explored as I am discovering more about the path of wellness that veganism has put me on.  As for the manageability of this project, it is much easier to decide on lunches and breakfasts than at the beginning of the month because I feel that I am more well-adjusted to the food choices I must make, and have better "instincts" when I reach for food to eat because I am more adjusted to my limitations.