After observing and partaking in my first Thanksgiving as a vegan, I found I didn't enjoy the usual dinner as I once did. Although I have been a vegetarian for a few holidays, being vegan obviously is much more constricting than only avoiding eating meat. Being a young college student means I will still be going to the joint family Thanksgiving I have since I was little. This means, even though I'm now a vegan, I'll be surrounded by all the classic VERY non-vegan Thanksgiving foods and not so much of my normal quinoa and tempeh (also because I'm a poor/busy college student and don't have the time to cook a bunch of vegan entrees). Today marked my journey into a new era of holiday dinners, which I will now refer to as "The Carbohydrate Conundrum."
1) Actual footage of me leaving college, heading home for Thanksgiving because "YAY FOOD!!!"
2) When you finally get home after your drive and get to see your parents,
3) and your cat, even though he acts like he couldn't care less (he's totally just as obsessed with you).
4) Walking into your grandma's house and the whole crew excited and ready to go eat some mashed potatoes.
6) Your family asks, "Monica, what do you eat if you aren't eating meat, cheese or milk...?"
7) When your family asks, "Are you sure you don't want a LITTLE piece? It won't hurt." Yes... I've never been more sure of anything.
8) *What's going on in your mind when your family makes faces when you explain why you can't eat the buttered dinner rolls*
9) "These soy-nuggets aren't totally terrible."
10) Definitely way over-thinking every aspect of the dinner, especially the turkey, of course.
11) For example, pondering why people love to wear turkey-related clothing, hats, costumes. Also involving turkeys in so many decorations. But... but you eat them.
12) Wishing that turkeys and all animals could just be our friends.
13) What your family assumes you will be eating at dinner.
14) What you actually eat,
16) and also this.
