Been Vegetarian for a Month

One of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2018 was to give being vegetarian a proper try. I’ve now been vegetarian for about a month and so I thought I’d write a blog post about how I’ve been finding it.

The last time I had meat was when I had a sausage and egg McMuffin for breakfast on the morning after I arrived back in Canada. I had literally no food in and so getting breakfast at McDonalds seemed like the best option.

I’ve noticed since I went vegetarian that I have been eating more cheese than I used to. It’s probably quite good for me that I’ve been getting more dairy into my diet than I used to. I have also become quite keen on using sweet potatoes and beans in my cooking.

Probably one question some people are wondering is, why did I suddenly decide to give being a vegetarian a try? Well I have been low-key contemplating it for quite a while and there’s various reasons. The main one being that I just don’t really feel comfortable eating meat and knowing about the intensity of factory farming meat production. Another reason was that I wanted to prove to myself that I actually could go vegetarian.

I thought one of the biggest challenges I was going to face was finding good veggie options when I’m eating out, I don’t eat out that often but I do usually grab lunch in the university food court a couple of times a week. However I have found eating good meals to not be a problem. And I can still have Poutine whilst I’m in Canada, I just have to ask for veggie gravy.

Generally I have found going vegetarian relatively easy. I would say that if you’ve ever considered giving being vegetarian a go as then you should give it a try as you’ll probably find it easier than you’re expecting.

Niagara Falls and Other New Experiences in Canada

Can it really be over a month already since I arrived in Canada for my Study Abroad adventure? Apparently it is and so following on from ‘The Pep Rally and Other New Experiences in Canada’ I’m going to be sharing some of my more recent new experiences.

At the weekend (the one just gone) I went to Niagara Falls which was incredible. Going to Niagara Falls is one of those things that you just have to do whilst you’re in Ontario and I’m glad I did. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I went but it was just stunning. Seriously, Niagara Falls is amazing. I saw it from the Canadian side of the border which is apparently the better side to view it from (and not just because the Canadian side is in the better country!) Me and the group of friends I went with went on a boat trip where you go right up to the Falls (and get wet) and then we walked along the top to look down at the Falls. It was a great day out.

I’m trying new foods! Specifically Poutine. I had never heard of Poutine until I got here but apparently it’s a Canadian speciality dish. For my readers who don’t know what Poutine is basically it’s fries with cheese on top and gravy. At first I wasn’t sure about it but once I gave it a try I found that I actually liked it. I particularly liked the one I had with pulled pork on top.

Another recent new experience was going to Toronto. I talked about that in more detail in my post ‘I Went To Toronto!’ but it’s worth repeating because it was amazing.

Living in accommodation has been a positive experience. I’m actually making friends which is something I have struggled with in the past. I talked about this more in my post ‘Differences in Accommodation’.

A way from fun days out and new cultural experience I have also been having new experiences in class. I have night classes now which it turns out are not so bad. Work is more intensive other here, I usually have several smaller tasks each week as opposed to one big one at the end of the semester. This definitely has its advantages as it means there’s not the pressure to do one big essay which is worth 100% of the grade.

Also there’s midterm exams. I had my first one on Tuesday. It was kind of weird for me to be taking an exam again given I didn’t have any exams during Second Year. It turned out that it was nowhere near as awful as I’d been anticipating and I’m cautiously optimistic that it went well for me.

Coming up is a very new experience for me, my first ever Thanksgiving! In Canada Thanksgiving takes place in October, apparently this is because October is the time of the Harvest. This year Thanksgiving falls on Monday the 9^th. I’m lucky enough to have been invited to go round to a friend’s house to spend Thanksgiving with her and her family. I’m looking forward to experiencing first-hand what Thanksgiving is all about.

Overall I am definitely having a wonderful time out here in Canada. I actually think it’s better than I had allowed myself to anticipate it would be and I’m certainly trying my best to make the most of all the new experiences that come with being in a new country.