It has been almost a decade since I first transitioned into a vegan, beginning my journey when I was only ten years old. After three years of being a vegetarian, I decided to take the leap and completely remove animal products from my life. This was a decision that, fortunately, my family supported and eventually even joined me in, which is not the case for many people who pursue a vegan lifestyle. Although it is one of the best decisions I have made, it has not always been easy.

When I first became a vegan, one of my main goals was the same for most people: to lose weight. Although I was around 10 years old at the time, I was quite aware that I was chubby for my age. I dealt with insecurities regarding my weight for my entire life, so I hoped a new diet could help fix the issue.

Of course, I did not get the results I was looking for right away. My extended tummy did not transform overnight into a six-pack (I'm still waiting for that transition to occur, unfortunately).

A vegan diet does not mean simply eliminating all animal products but instead replacing the nutrients you once received from dairy and eggs. In other words, my diet of potato chips and coconut milk based ice cream was not going to work.

Eventually, after doing my research, I slowly found my body changing. Not only was I able to lose some baby fat, but I began physically feeling better. The heavy weight of a cheese pizza no longer nauseated me at night, the acne on my back cleared up, and I noticed my energy levels staying elevated throughout the day. Even though my journey began at a young age, these benefits still apply today (although I may need that extra latte now and then).

As I grew older and continued this diet, I began to realize that becoming vegan is not just a dietary change, but a lifestyle change. It affected every aspect of my existence, including my social life.

As a child, none of my fellow peers really knew what the term "vegan" meant. All they knew was that I didn't eat ice cream cake at birthday parties and my lunch bag didn't include Cosmic Brownies like everyone else.

By the time I entered high school, being a vegan had finally become trendy. It was the new fad, and for a month or two, I had someone to go on a lunch date with when my friends experimented with the diet. As someone from a suburban town, though, becoming vegan was not as popular as I hoped it would be. Most people immediately assumed I was a "radical vegan," screaming at the sight of a hot dog and shaming everyone who even looked at a grilled cheese sandwich. People around me were actually more accepting of my diet when I was in elementary school than when I was a junior in high school. Once I mentioned to a new friend that I was a vegan (which I started to refrain from bringing up until it was absolutely necessary), I was viewed as cruel and judgmental.

On top of this, it became harder and harder to go out with my friends to eat. As a kid, my Mom could make me and my friend peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and we would both be satisfied, but the local fast food places that teenagers love to go to aren't quite as accommodating and often don't have many options. Unless I was looking to order a Caesar salad without dressing every Friday night, there wasn't much out there for me.

This put me at a social disadvantage because the act of rejoicing in a savory meal is one of the main sources of human connection. People bond over food, and if I wasn't eating (or wasn't enjoying what I was eating), I didn't really feel like I was part of the group.

It was around this period in my life where my supportive family came to save the day.

At this point, both of my parents and one of my older sisters were now vegans, along with my fellow vegetarian sister. Together, we found a few vegan restaurants that the small state of Connecticut has to offer and discovered some gems in the surrounding New England area. From non-dairy soft-serve ice cream to 100% plant-based restaurants that even my carnivorous brother could enjoy, everywhere we went had something for all of us. These types of places prove that tofu isn't as bland as everyone thinks.

This brings us to the present, where I will soon be celebrating my 10-year friendaversary with my fellow plants. I hope as time progresses, less and less people exclaim with disgust when they see the tempeh sandwich I packed for lunch, while more and more people at least consider experimenting with different cruelty-free options. Perhaps the change does not have to strictly concern one's diet, but even the make-up and hair products we use in our everyday lives. Once in a while, maybe you can even consider just glancing at those meatless patties in the frozen section of the grocery store.