Hello! I'm Jen and am going on my fourth year as a vegan. I feel very fortunate that my husband has been taking the same steps towards health and more compassionate living with me. We are expecting our first child, a boy, in just a few months and yes, absolutely he will be raised vegan. I got pregnant just weeks after our move from Southern California's Inland Empire to Northern California's Gold Country (near Sacramento). I think all the trees and fresh mountain air must have agreed with me!

It's a little scary going through a pregnancy so far away from my family. We don't know anyone in the area yet - I'm pretty anti-social, really. We don't really have many vegan friends (except those we've converted...hooray!) and I'm hoping that as issues crop up it'll be beneficial to have a network of people who've "been there and done that" to turn to (YOU GUYS) and hopefully I can return the favor when it comes to topics I can help out with.

We have a huge family and everyone still lives in So Cal so we visit every few months. The only thing I really miss besides family are all the vegan dining options in Los Angeles. I'm looking forward to trying out the restaurants in the Bay Area. I love food probably more than I should! I enjoy cooking and baking and trying out new veg products. I love Brussels sprouts and tacos (not together)!

I am pretty passionate about plant-based nutrition in regards to health and disease prevention. I believe that animal "foods" are not part of a natural/optimal diet for humans even thought we obviously can live on them if we need to (the human body is amazing) and enjoy discussing the topic with people who might not agree. I want to home school. I use only all-natural beauty products. I am currently struggling with the issues of vaccines and circumcision and am spending a lot of time researching both topics. I like punk rock, old folk/rural American music, classic cowboy stuff (pre-50's), children's music (yes, I listen to it even when no kids are around), and a ton of other stuff. I want to watch less TV so we're not chained to the set when the baby gets here (don't want to get him into the habit). I love nature and hiking and exploring sites from early California history. We love offroading. We're huge fans of the National Park System (Death Valley is one of my most favorite places). I'm crafty, like ice is cold, but I haven't done ANYTHING in the months since we've moved. I read a lot. That's all I can think of, but it should give you a good idea of who I am. I hope to learn more about a lot of you, too! See you around!