My name is Amy. I’m vegan, passionate about cooking, and in love with nature. But above all, I care deeply about respecting life. I didn’t choose this path to follow a trend or to look “healthy” on Instagram. I chose it because one day something inside me shifted. I realized I could never look away again.

I’m not here to force anyone to agree with me. My goal is not to make people feel guilty or to build walls between “them” and “us.” What I share here is my journey, my thoughts, my experiences, my discoveries. Maybe they’ll resonate with you, maybe not. But if you keep reading, at least you’ll know why, since I was 14, meat has never touched my lips again.

The turning point

I was fourteen. Like every summer, I was staying with my grandparents in the countryside. I loved visiting the rabbits they kept in the back of the barn. Little twitching noses, long ears, bright eyes… I could spend hours just watching them. To me, they were playmates, almost friends.

One day, as I was watching them, a harsh thought hit me. I knew exactly what was going to happen to them. I had seen it, I had heard it. My grandfather killed them, prepared them, and they ended up on the table like any other meal. But that day, instead of accepting it as normal, I had a kind of vision.

I imagined beings from another planet. Smarter, more advanced than us. Maybe they would watch us with curiosity too. And if they saw us locking up sentient animals just to kill them later, what would they think of us? Would they see us as civilized? No. They would see us as barbarians.

That image shook me. I could no longer eat a rabbit, a chicken, a cow, or a fish without thinking of that outside gaze, seeing humanity as a blind predator. That evening, I pushed my plate away. The next day, I announced that I would never eat meat again. And I never did.

It wasn’t a “smooth transition.” It was radical, instinctive, irreversible. And unlike what many people imagine, it didn’t feel like deprivation. It felt like freedom.

A lifestyle, not a punishment

Many still believe that being vegan means spending your life deprived, eating sad tasteless salads. The image of the “miserable vegan” is everywhere, kept alive by those who never tried real plant-based cooking. I’m here to say the opposite: being vegan means loving food.

I grow a big vegetable garden. Heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, carrots, herbs… every season brings a new table, every harvest is a celebration. Fruit adds to the feast: strawberries in spring, figs in summer, apples and pears in fall. Cooking with what’s at hand is a true school of creativity and joy.

My greatest passion is Indian cooking. I found an endless world of flavors, textures, and colors there. Curry, dhal, samosas, masalas… every dish is a symphony of spices. The best part is that this cuisine has always made huge room for vegetables, legumes, and grains. There’s no need to “replace” meat. You just forget it, because everything else shines so brightly.

I reject industrial products that try to imitate meat. Those ultra-processed soy patties, those “vegan” sausages packed with additives don’t interest me. My approach is not about imitating what I left behind. I don’t miss meat. What I want is authentic, nourishing, vibrant food. Vegetables, fruits, spices, legumes give me all that in abundance.

The only exception I make is eggs. I have hens in my garden, and they are my companions every day. They have space, a cozy coop, a peaceful life. They could not survive in the wild, and I believe I give them a dignified existence. When they lay, I collect their eggs. When they stop laying, they stay. They will never end up in a soup pot. They will live out their lives and die naturally. To me, they are not “livestock,” they are family.

So no, being vegan is not a punishment. It’s a lifestyle that brings me joy, energy, and inner peace. And every meal is a chance to reaffirm that choice, without frustration, with gratitude.

Breaking vegan myths

Since becoming vegan, I’ve heard all kinds of clichés. Some are funny, others are downright annoying. But instead of getting angry, I’d rather answer them one by one.

First, no, it’s not more expensive. People try to make you believe vegan food will drain your wallet, but that’s simply not true. What’s expensive are ultra-processed products, whether they contain meat or not. If you eat seasonal veggies, legumes, whole grains, fruits, and cook your own meals, your budget will be much lighter than a fridge full of vacuum-packed steaks and ready meals. I shop at the market, I harvest from the garden, and I spend way less than most of my meat-eating friends.

Second, no, we don’t lack protein. I’ve heard it a hundred times: “But where do you get your protein?” As if protein only came from meat. Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, artisan tofu, seeds, and nuts are packed with it. A little variety and your body has everything it needs. Vegan athletes prove it every single day.

Third cliché: vegan food is sad and boring. That one makes me laugh. My plate is way more diverse now than it ever was when I ate meat. I learned to cook with new spices, to try forgotten vegetables, to mix flavors I would never have dared before. Honestly, between a box of frozen nuggets and a chickpea spinach curry, there’s no contest.

And finally, yes, vegan food is delicious, varied, and nourishing. When I cook, I don’t aim to “last” until the next meal. I want to savor, to nourish both body and spirit. And every dish I prepare is a celebration of life.

Why I left toxic social media

Being vegan also means cutting off toxic habits. For me, it goes beyond what’s on the plate. I tried for a long time to share my thoughts and recipes on Facebook and Twitter. But after a while, I realized I was wasting my time.

Facebook had turned into a supermarket of likes. Every post was surrounded by ads, endless notifications, manipulations pushing more and more superficial content. Authenticity was buried under marketing. Twitter was worse: a permanent battlefield. Every time I mentioned veganism, I got trolled by strangers who weren’t there to talk, only to provoke.

Then came two breaking points. First, when Zuckerberg chose to support Trump. I could no longer accept that my energy was feeding a platform backing that kind of behavior. Second, when Musk bought Twitter to turn it into his personal playground. I was already tired of the insults and pointless arguments, but that was the final straw.

Just like with meat, I cut it off at once. I closed my accounts. No more Facebook, no more Twitter, no more mainstream social media. It was a clean break, and honestly, it felt liberating. At the same time, I needed a space to keep writing, sharing, connecting.

Why my blog is on NovaFuture

Then one day, I discovered NovaFuture. At first I was curious: a site with no ads, fully respecting privacy, open, progressive? It almost sounded too good to be true. I dug deeper, read articles, explored the forum, sent private messages. And I realized I had finally found a place that really matched my values.

Here, I don’t have to sell my soul to exploiters. I can write what I think, without compromise, without worrying that a sneaker ad will pop up on my page. I know the people reading me are here by choice, not because some algorithm tricked them into clicking.

And most importantly, there’s a real community. The forum isn’t just disposable comments. It’s a living space where conversations take time to grow. The “follow” function helps me stay connected with those who enjoy my posts, and I can follow them back. We’re not reduced to anonymous “followers,” we’re people actually talking to each other.

That’s why I chose to start my blog here. Because NovaFuture is not another empty social network, but a collective project that believes in intelligence and diversity. And that makes all the difference.

What you’ll find on my blog

If you decide to follow me on NovaFuture, expect a joyful mix: sometimes outspoken, sometimes gentle, but always sincere.

You’ll find simple, organic, tasty vegan recipes. Not complicated stuff that takes three hours and fifteen exotic ingredients. I’m talking about comforting dhals, fragrant curries, colorful salads, fruity desserts ready in minutes. The point is to show that vegan cooking can be accessible, nourishing, and indulgent without breaking the bank.

There will also be reflections on animal ethics and respect for life. Not to lecture, but to share my questions, my discoveries, my readings. Because veganism isn’t only about what’s on the plate. It’s also about how we look at the world and ask if we can live differently, with less violence and more consistency.

And sometimes, there will be rants. Because yes, there are moments when staying silent makes no sense. When I see backward arguments, industries treating life as if it were nothing, I can’t stay neutral. But my rants are not here to divide. They’re here to remind us that anger can drive action if we put it in service of life.

Finally, you’ll find gardening and cooking anecdotes. Seedlings sprouting, tomatoes ruined by rain, improvised dishes from garden leftovers. Little everyday stories showing that this lifestyle is not an abstract theory but a reality filled with simple joys.

Epilogue

I don’t claim to have all the answers or to be a role model. I’m just someone who had a wake-up call one day and chose to live differently. This path has brought me consistency, inner peace, and a lot of happiness. And if I share it here, it’s with the hope that others will see themselves in it, feel inspired, or simply start thinking a little differently.

NovaFuture is the perfect place for that. No pretenses, no digital voyeurism. Just a space for exchange, reflection, and collective creativity. That’s why I’m here, and that’s why I hope to meet you here again and again.

So if my words resonate with you, if my recipes make your mouth water, or if my reflections spark something in you, don’t hesitate to follow me on the NovaFuture forum. The “follow” function is there for that, and I’ll be glad to keep the conversation going.

See you soon for the next post.
Love,
Amy