Hi! I'm so glad I found this amazing site, I really wish it would've been sooner. I've already made a recipe I found and loved it. I love the forums too, spent a lot of time reading the other night. I'm especially interested in learning more about the raw food veganism.. considering it, maybe just half time for awhile.

So basically I was a vegetarian for awhile and this past January 1st I decided to go vegan, for both ethical and health reasons. I'm actually also looking to lose a bit of weight. I have about 40 lbs I would like to lose but I think I'd be happy with 20-30. Being vegetarian made me gain quite a bit a few years back, due to eating nothing but cheese pizza and french fries and such other crappy items. Basically all carb loaded junk and very few veggies. I've since discovered how amazing vegetables can be though, and in the short month or so since becoming vegan I've tried so much new and exciting food I never even knew to exist.

About me, I'm an animal and nature lover. I'm studying for a BSc in Biology and currently a junior! I like fire dancing (especially with hula hoop), poi, hoop, other forms of dance and object manipulation. I like electronic music and going to raves and festivals, especially during the summer when they are outdoors. I'm also a licensed tattoo artist and piercer in my state, I love art and illustration. I have several piercings and a couple tattoos. Um, I have dreadlocks and love them! I have 4 rats, 2 cats, and my favorite rabbit. I love bunnies! My favorite animal, by far. I like to read, I especially like sci-fi and other fiction. I also like to crochet and craft things. Finally, I'm a bit of a gamer. I love my DS, ps2, and a few other gaming systems. I used to play WoW and FFXI especially like some sick person.

I have an omni bf but he supports me, and he's awesome. He doesn't much like vegetables though. He loves his meat and cheese.. occasionally some potato variant or grains. I haven't really made much of an attempt to get him to eat less meat and such, but I'm sure it wouldn't work. He's cited that he agrees with me on the ethical issues but that he just couldn't cut it out, since it composes a major part of his diet. I've only confided my reasons for my diet in a couple very close friends, I try not to talk about it in front of people, as I've found it can make them uncomfortable and for whatever reason.. meat eaters seem very sensitive about the issue. Often times verbally attacking me for my decision and they'll try to debate me with the tired crap I'm sure you've all heard. I often wonder why. I don't make an issue out of their choices, why do they make such an issue out of mine?

So, I wrote way more here than I originally thought and I don't think I've ever made such a long introductory post like this. Thanks for reading and I think I'll have a lot of fun on this site!