Sarah is a new writer to the site, chronicling her experiences as she explores becoming a vegan.

I have spent much of my time over the past week reading. And watching. And listening. People have been incredibly supportive and have shared so many terrific ideas and resources. At times I have felt uplifted, excited about the changes I am making — and many times, frankly, I have just wanted to cry. I had thought about animal rights before this past week, but, apparently, I had not REALLY thought about them.

I was expecting it to take quite some time for my perspective to change. I was expecting to look at chicken and shrimp and even hamburgers — and want to eat them. I was expecting to want to eat pizza and ice cream and goat cheese. I knew that I wanted to be a vegan, but I was expecting it to be difficult, mentally. Instead, my mind has already started to focus on what I will be eating as a vegan, rather than what I am not eating. Cravings might come later, and I am still a work in progress, but I was surprised that I am more ready than I expected to be.

From a practical standpoint, buying food is now a different experience. In the past, shopping was simple: I knew what I needed and where it was in my preferred markets. But now I am not as familiar with my ingredients and options, so instead of trying to cover everything for a week in one big trip, I am going to the market with much more frequency.

Recipes and articles about vegan cooking are inspiring to me, so I now shop with a couple of specific items in mind (eg, ingredients for vegan quesadillas), and then I wander through the aisles. I look at items that I may not have purchased in the past, just letting myself be open to new foods and flavors. By taking the potential stress or pressure out of the situation, I have been able to enjoy it.

The challenge of the week has been breakfast. I do not want my usual (in the past) breakfast of Special K with skim milk, but I do not want to eat oatmeal every day, either. I love breakfast, and brunch is my favorite meal. I need to come up with some great morning ideas — or those cravings really might happen.