I am a Colombian living in Germany, and my journey of discovering this amazing planet began in 2008 when I moved to China for what was supposed to be a “short” period of time, but it turned into a decade of incredible experiences. Food has always been a big part of my life, with my love for cooking igniting through my mother’s meals back home. But it wasn’t until recently that I became fully aware of the real impact of what I was eating.
My perspective on food took a sharp turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. I came across some pretty shocking information that made me pause and rethink things. I read an article called “The End of Meat Is Here”, and it really hit me hard. It talked about how, even though meat plants were COVID hot spots, they were forced to stay open, putting workers at risk. And if that wasn’t bad enough, farmers had to do crazy things like force pregnant sows to have abortions because they couldn’t process all the animals in time.
Beyond that, it was the realization that the meat industry is a leading cause of environmental destruction, contributing massively to global warming. I realized that continuing to eat meat regularly made me part of something I didn’t support or agree with. The environmental cost alone was staggering, with animal agriculture producing more greenhouse gases than most countries. The full article is here.
My transition to a more plant-based lifestyle was made easier by living with K, my awesome vegan wife. She’s shown me that being vegan is way more about exploring new flavors and foods than about giving things up. We’ve been on this journey together, discovering delicious plant-based alternatives and paying more attention to where our food comes from; as she has beautifully put it:
Being vegan is not about limitations, it’s about exploration
Now I live in Germany, and while I still eat meat occasionally (like once or twice a year), my approach to food has completely shifted. I want to use this blog, Living with a Vegan, to share how this journey has changed my life—from the eye-opening moments during the pandemic to living with K and learning that plant-based eating is full of amazing possibilities. Join me as I explore a more sustainable and thoughtful way of living!