I've heard it a million times: "Go vegan, it'll change your life." So last week, that's what I did.

Let me be upfront right away: My vegan journey was never intended to be permanent. I know that being vegan is not in my future; I love dairy way too much to ever give it up.

Originally, I planned on being vegan for ten days. (More on that later.) My boyfriend, Magnus, and I were going to cut out all animal products, including honey, eggs, meat, and dairy, to see how it changed our lives.

On the first day of being vegan, I felt like giving up a million times.

After a $200 spending spree to purchase a fridge full of fruit, veggies and vegan substitutes, my bank account was hurting, and I was too. I never really paid attention to how often I ate dairy and other animal products. Goodbye butter, yogurt, cheese, ranch dressing...

Magnus, who is lactose intolerant, wasn't missing the dairy products at all, but on top of missing my comfort food, I was incredibly overwhelmed with the meal preparation involved. I mostly followed a vegan meal plan I found on Pinterest, but the recipes took hours to whip up. Even though I felt frazzled the entire day, I went to bed proud that I didn't give up.

The next couple of days progressed pretty much the same. Magnus and I spent hours in the kitchen and tried a bunch of new recipes and foods (some winners, some definite losers).

On day three I watched a documentary on Netflix called "What the Health"--a pretty biased movie, but informative nonetheless. After I finished the movie, however, I knew I wasn't going to make it the full ten days. My fridge was almost empty, and I simply couldn't afford the time and money anymore. I decided to stick it out for five days instead.

What makes my vegan journey different is that I didn't do it for personal reasons; I did it just as an experiment. I personally do not feel strongly about eating a plant-based diet, but if I had, I think it would have given me a lot more motivation to keep going.

As much as I admire others for choosing a vegan lifestyle, I knew from the beginning that it wasn't for me. This mindset definitely made my vegan journey more challenging.

Now, to the things everyone wonders about:

Yes, I lost weight.

Yes, my skin cleared up.

Yes, I felt healthier.

No, I did not have more energy.

Remember: I only did this for five days. I definitely did not get the full lifestyle change that being vegan brings with it. I also don't know how much of the changes that I felt were as a result of the vegan diet, or if they were hormonal.

Here are my major take-aways from my five-day vegan experiment:

Being vegan is hard.

Honestly, I am so impressed with the people who commit to this lifestyle.

Being vegan takes up a lot of time.

Even if it's just making sure you read the ingredients on a jar at the store or asking your waiter to hold the dressing, it's a time commitment.

Being vegan is not for everyone.

Society is obsessed with going vegan right now, but (just like any diet) it is not a one-size-fits-all.

I'm glad I went vegan for a few days; it was definitely an eye-opening experience. I encourage anyone who is curious about the vegan lifestyle to give it a try, even if it's only temporary.