One of the main draws to the Woodstock area is the Woodstock Animal Sanctuary, located on Rescue Road in the Catskills. Actually, the entire reason for our Airstream trip was to visit the animals on this farm. This place is not like a zoo where animals are locked up or confined to small spaces. This is a spacious haven for animals that needed to be rescued.

The employees and volunteers at the sanctuary provide rehabilitation and caring for “farmed animal refugees.” Don’t worry, this is not a blog post on me lecturing about animal rights. It’s about my own experience on not eating meat.

I am going on two years living as a vegetarian.

This may be shocking for some of my friends who knew me as the, “fried chicken girl.”

My choice to go completely meat-free started when Jay and I took our first month long Airstream trip in February of 2014. Since I was traveling with a vegan, I decided to cook vegan meals. This didn’t mean bland or dried out pieces of ingredients that taste like cardboard. This meant stocking the small Airstream fridge with fresh vegetables, fruits, almond milk, plant based faux meats, and vegan desserts.

During that month of traveling in the Airstream, I cooked more than I have ever in my life. And I also learned how faux meat can taste just like real meat. Vegetarian cooking became fun, and as a result, I learned some important kitchen skills. By the end of the trip, I wondered why it was necessary to eat meat at all.

After exploring so many delicious vegan restaurants across the United States, I won’t ever go back to eating real meat.

Visiting the Woodstock Animal Sanctuary affirmed the life choice I made. Looking at the faces of these animals who are living, breathing, and thinking beings… I feel as though I’m helping the world in some small way. In return, I feel healthier and happier.