Raised in a meat and potatoes Midwest family, I loved meat as much as the next girl. And, truth be told, I never stopped liking meat. What I stopped liking was the thought of eating an animal. At the tender age of about 9, I decided that my deep love and sympathy for animals would no longer allow me to eat meat. After first announcing this to my family, it took another two weeks of me eating hot dogs and McDonald’s to finally go “clean”. And, I’m happy to say, I never looked back. Over 25 years later, I’m still meat free, and couldn’t be happier. I can’t imagine another way of life.