“Isn’t everyone there gay?” is something somebody once (jokingly) asked me about Emerson College. A school for Communication and the Performing Arts, you’re bound to run into the hipster culture. It’s my first day back in class, and walking down the block of buildings I take a big whiff of the cold Boston air and Ah… the smell of the menthol cigarettes and film equipment. You have to admire the smoker’s dedication to stand outside for fifteen minutes in 20 degree weather.

Being in the college environment with a restrictive diet is challenging, and is going to continue to be challenging. I’ve only been here one day, and I’m accepting the fact that I’m going to have to find new “comfort foods”.

Emerson’s dining hall is…

It just is.

However, they do have a small vegan station, which I appreciate and I’m sure a lot of other people do. They have vegetable stir-fry and usually a dessert. After a fruit smoothie for breakfast, some sunflower seeds during class, I decided that the vegan station was going to be my go-to lunch place. I had some type of stir-fry, and a vegan brownie.

I love Emerson, I love the cafeteria workers, but my taste buds did not like what I ate. I’m coming to realize that vegan food tries to make up for the lack of meat juices with extreme spice and seasoning. I would rate that meal a poopy diaper out of 10. Another thing that I realized is that my body will have to adjust to the new foods I am putting in my body, as well as the different sources of vitamins and important minerals. I find that I’m relying on caffeine more than usual, because even just going to class today had me feeling exhausted. In the end, I had oreos for lunch. God bless.

After several errands and two more classes in the afternoon, I had my second coffee of the day. This fatigue is a warning sign that I need to find more sources of protein, because as great as fruits and vegetables are, no one food group can compensate for the rest. It is common for new vegans to experience tiredness and lack of energy, and a tricky thing I’ve learned to look out for is iodine consumption.Iodine produces thyroid hormones, a diet low in iodine can result in hypothyroidism, which can cause fatigue along with depression, trouble thinking clearly and weight gain (Healthy Eating). A common misconception of veganism and even vegetarianism is the given that you will lose weight. Yes, if you are at a healthy balance of exercise and food consumption, you are likely to drop a few pounds, but every body and gene pool is different; each of us may react to foods differently. While our bodies are subjective, the idea that we need certain vitamins to function to our best ability is an objective fact. Vegans with no other iodine source than fruits and vegetables may not get enough, but it is important to balance your intake of this specific supplement, because an overdose of Iodine may be harmful.

The college experience is exhausting enough, and these past few days have further enforced the idea that veganism is more than a diet, it is a lifestyle. Paying attention to ingredients when grocery shopping and at restaurants has seemed extremely artificial to me, but with time I am looking forward to adjusting my habits and my taste buds to the foods I need.

P.S. I got a Magic Bullet for smoothie making! Please enjoy this iconic infomercial!

The University of Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians